rsonal," echoed Mrs. Krill, a keen look coming into her hard eyes,
and she stopped rubbing her hands together.

"Well, yes," admitted Hurd, with affected reluctance. "I had to look
into your past as well as into that of your husband's."

Mrs. Krill's eyes grew harder than ever. She scented danger. "My past is
a most uninteresting one," she said, coldly. "I was born at Stowley, in
Buckinghamshire, and married Mr. Krill at Beechill, which is a few miles
from that town. He was a traveller in jewellery, but as I did not like
his being away from me, I induced him to rent 'The Red Pig' at
Christchurch, to which we removed. Then he left me--"

"On account of Lady Rachel Sandal's murder?"

Mrs. Krill controlled herself excellently, although she was startled by
this speech, as was evident from the expression of her eyes. "That poor
lady committed suicide," she said deliberately. "The jury at the inquest
brought in a verdict of suicide--"

"By a majority of one," added Hurd, quickly. "There seemed to be a
considerable amount of doubt as to the cause of the death."

"The death was caused by strangulation," said Mrs. Krill, in hard tones.
"Since you know all about the matter, you must be aware that I and my
daughter had retired after seeing Lady Rachel safe and sound for the
night. The death was discovered by a boon companion of my husband's,
with whom he was drinking at the time."

"I know that. Also that you came down with your daughter when the alarm
was given. I also know that Krill fastened your daughter's lips together
with the opal brooch which was found in the parlor."

"Who told you that?" asked Mrs. Krill, agitated.

"Jessop--the boon companion you speak of."

"Yes," she said, suppressing her agitation with a powerful effort.
"Matilda said you had him to dine with you. What else did he say?" she
asked with some hesitation.

"Much less than I should have liked to know," retorted Hurd, prepared to
throw off the mask; "but he told me a great deal which interested me
very much. Amongst other things that Grexon Hay had been engaged to your
daughter for two years."

"Well?" asked Mrs. Krill, coolly, "what of that?"

"Nothing particular," rejoined Hurd, just as coolly, "only I wonder you
took the trouble to pretend that you met Hay at Pash's office for the
first time."

"That was some romantic rubbish of my daughter's. There was no reason
why we should not have acknowledged Mr. Hay as an old acquaintance."

"No