.

"And who are you, sir?" he asked icily.

"I am a detective attached to the Central Office."

"Where did you get this will?"

"I don't care to go into that matter now," snapped Britz.

"Perhaps you will inform me why you presumed to use my name in
telephoning to Mrs. Collins?" persisted the lawyer.

"Because I wanted to see just what she would do."

"I hope your curiosity is satisfied."

"Quite satisfied."

"Then there is no reason for your remaining," said Luckstone. "I am the
attorney for the receiver, and I am sure he does not require your
presence."

Britz was on the point of making a sharp retort, but checked himself. He
recalled the stern purpose of his visit, a purpose which he would
execute relentlessly, yet not without feelings of the utmost pity. For
the iron was hot, it was time to strike.

"I shall go," remarked the detective, "but I shall have to ask this lady
to accompany me to Police Headquarters."

It required some effort of will to say it. The suffering which she
endured had aroused in him a compassion to which he would have found it
easy to yield. But having repelled the charitable impulse that
threatened to wreck his carefully devised plan, he said with added
firmness:

"I am ready to start as soon as she is."

"Why, what do you mean?" bellowed the lawyer. "This is an outrage! What
the devil do you mean?"

"I mean that Mrs. Collins is under arrest," explained the detective.

CHAPTER XV

On hearing the ominous word, arrest, Mrs. Collins trembled and grew
cold. She looked entreatingly from the detective to the lawyer, as if
seeking some explanation of this new and entirely unexpected blow.
Britz, noting the helpless bewilderment of the woman, experienced a
painful contraction of heart, as if it were ordained that he must share
the suffering which he had inflicted on her. Presently she lifted her
face to his in a look of silent protest, and he felt a stinging sense of
shame at the shabby part he was compelled to play. But he remained firm.

"I am sorry, but I must insist that this lady come with me," he said
with a note of sad determination in his voice.

"Oh, you're sorry!" echoed Luckstone ironically. "You'll be sorrier
before you're through with this case. This is an outrage! On what charge
do you arrest this lady?"

"On the charge that she has guilty knowledge of the murder of Herbert
Whitmore," returned Britz.

"It's absurd," railed Luckstone. "Ridiculous! Why d