dness and
consideration, but no other means, might induce her to tell all she
knew.

"Come now, my good girl," he said in a gentle pleasant voice which would
have astonished Caldew beyond measure if he had heard it, "nobody wants
to torture you. On the contrary, I have come down from London purposely
to help you."

He paused for a moment in order to allow this remark to sink into her
mind and then went on:

"I do not think that you quite understood what I have been trying to
tell you. I will tell you again, and I wish you to listen to me for your
own sake."

He glanced at her again, and satisfied that he had now gained her
attention, repeated the news he had endeavoured to tell her previously.
The story, which he embellished with additional details as he went on,
was a practical demonstration of the trick of conveying a false
impression without telling an actual untruth. Merrington's sole aim was
to convince Hazel that further silence on her part was useless, so, to
that end, he used the incident of his visit to Nepcote's flat in a way
to suggest that Nepcote's admission of the ownership of the revolver
amounted to an admission of his own complicity in the murder.

It was an adroit narration--Merrington conceded that much to himself,
not without some pride in his own creation--but he was not prepared for
its immediate and overmastering effect on the girl. She listened to him
with an intensity of interest which was in the strangest contrast with
her former inattention and indifference. When Merrington reached the
point of his revelations by telling her about the missing necklace in
order to assure her that the police were aware that Nepcote had gained
more from the commission of the crime than she had, she surprised him by
springing to her feet, her eyes blazing with excitement.

"I knew it would be proved that I am innocent," she exclaimed. "Now I
can tell you all I know."

"It is the very best course you can pursue," responded Merrington with
emphasis.

"I know it--I see it now! Oh, I have been very foolish. But I--" A burst
of hysterical tears choked further utterance.

Merrington waited patiently until she recovered herself. He was troubled
by no qualms of gentlemanly etiquette at watching the distress of the
distraught girl sobbing wildly at the little table between them. There
is a wide difference between pampered beauty in distress and a female
prisoner in self-abasement. So he waited composedly enough