"

"About fifteen; quite old enough to make things unpleasant."

"Then she can't inherit the money," said Hurd, decisively.

"No," cried Beecot, quickly, "both Sylvia and I think so. But to go on
with Norman's confession. He would not let Maud go. She began to scream,
and he feared lest she should alarm the neighbors. He tied a
handkerchief across her lips, but she got free, and again began to
scream. Then he cruelly fastened her lips together with the opal
brooch."

"Where did he get that, if innocent?"

"He declared that he spied it on the floor of the sitting-room, near his
wife's feet, and then hints that she strangled Lady Rachel to get it and
turn it into money as she was desperately in need of cash for Maud. Mrs.
Krill idolized the child."

"I know that," snapped Hurd. "Go on."

"When Norman fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill threw
herself on him in a rage. He knocked her insensible, and then ran away.
He walked through the night, until, at dawn, he came to a distant
railway station. There he took a ticket and went to London. He
concealed himself until there was no chance of his being discovered, and
besides, saw the verdict of the jury in the newspapers. But he was
determined he would not go back to his wife, because she threatened
him."

"In what way?"

"Ah," said Paul, while Sylvia shuddered, "in a strange way. When he
fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill said that she would do
the same to him one day and with the same brooch."

Hurd uttered an exclamation. "So that was why she wanted the brooch so
much?" he exclaimed eagerly.

"Yes. And she told Hay she wanted it though she did not reveal her
reason. She said if she got the brooch he would be allowed to marry
Maud, with whom Hay was deeply in love. Hay stumbled across me by
accident, and I happened to have the brooch. The rest you know."

"No," said Hurd, "I don't know how the brooch came into the possession
of Mrs. Krill again, to use in the cruel way she threatened."

"Well," said Sylvia, quickly, "we aren't sure if Mrs. Krill _did_ get
the brooch."

"The evidence is against her," said Hurd; "remember the threat--"

"Yes, but wait till you hear Mrs. Purr," said Paul, "but just a moment,
Hurd. You must learn how Norman laid the foundations of his fortune."

"Ah, I forget! Well?" and the detective settled himself to listen
further.

"He was hard up and almost starving for a long time after he came to
London," expla