me to board in this house shortly after
Mr. Vrain occupied No. 13," replied Denzil.

"Who says he did?"

"Miss Greeb, my landlady, and she also told me that he left here two
days after the murder."

"That's as true as true!" cried Mrs. Bensusan, "ain't it, Rhoda? We lost
him 'cause he said he couldn't abide living near a house where a crime
had been committed."

"Well, then," continued Lucian, seeing that Rhoda, without speaking,
continued to watch him, "the coincidence of Mr. Wrent's stay with that
of Mr. Vrain's strikes me as peculiar."

"You are a sharp one, you are!" said Rhoda, with an approving nod. "Look
here, Mr. Denzil, would you break a promise?"

"That depends upon what the promise was."

"It was one I made to hold my tongue."

"About what?"

"Several things," said the girl shortly.

"Have they to do with this crime?" asked Lucian eagerly.

"I don't know. I can't say," said Rhoda; then suddenly her face grew
black. "I tell you what, sir, I hate Mr. Wrent!" she declared.

"Oh, Rhoda!" cried Mrs. Bensusan. "After the lovely cloak he gave you!"

The red-haired girl looked contemptuously at her mistress; then, without
a word, darted out of the room. Before Lucian could conjecture the
reason of her strange conduct, or Mrs. Bensusan could get her breath
again--a very difficult operation for her--Rhoda was back with a blue
cloth cloak, lined with rabbit skins, hanging over her arm. This she
threw down at the feet of Lucian, and stamped on it savagely with the
carpet slippers.

"There's his present!" she cried angrily, "but I wish I could dance on
him the same way! I wish--I wish I could hang him!"

"Can you?" demanded Lucian swiftly, taking her in the moment of wrath,
when she seemed disposed to speak.

"No!" said Rhoda shortly. "I can't!"

"Do you think he killed Mr. Vrain?"

"No, I don't!"

"Do you know who did?"

"Blest if I do!"

"Does Mr. Wrent?" asked Denzil meaningly.

The girl wet her finger and went through a childish game. "That's wet,"
she said; then wiping the finger on her dingy skirt, "that's dry. Cut my
throat if I tell a lie. Ask me something easier, Mr. Denzil."

"I don't understand you," said Lucian, quite puzzled.

"Rhoda! Rhoda! 'Ave you gone crazy?" wailed Mrs. Bensusan.

"Look here," said the girl, taking no notice of her mistress, "do you
want to know about Mr. Wrent?"

"Yes, I do."

"And about that side passage as you talked of to the missis?"

"Yes."