I shall want
some other chance against her besides the chance of indicting her for
perjury. As to her motive now for making this horrible accusation, what
can you tell me about that, William?"

"Her motive against me, sir?"

"No, no, not against you. I can see plainly enough that she accuses you
because it is necessary to do so to add to the probability of her story,
which, of course, assumes that you helped your mistress to dispose of
the dead body. You are coolly sacrificed to some devilish vengeance
against her mistress. Let us get at that first. Has there ever been
a quarrel between them?"

I told him of the quarrel, and of how Josephine had looked and talked
when she showed me her cheek.

"Yes," he said, "that is a strong motive for revenge with a naturally
pitiless, vindictive woman. But is that all? Had your mistress any hold
over her? Is there any self-interest mixed up along with this motive of
vengeance? Think a little, William. Has anything ever happened in
the house to compromise this woman, or to make her fancy herself
compromised?"

The remembrance of my mistress's lost trinkets and handkerchiefs, which
later and greater troubles had put out of my mind, flashed back into my
memory while he spoke. I told him immediately of the alarm in the house
when the loss was discovered.

"Did your mistress suspect Josephine and question her?" he asked,
eagerly.

"No, sir," I replied. "Before she could say a word, Josephine impudently
asked who she suspected, and boldly offered her own boxes to be
searched."

The lawyer's face turned red as scarlet. He jumped out of his chair, and
hit me such a smack on the shoulder that I thought he had gone mad.

"By Jupiter!" he cried out, "we have got the whip-hand of that she-devil
at last."

I looked at him in astonishment.

"Why, man alive," he said, "don't you see how it is? Josephine's the
thief! I am as sure of it as that you and I are talking together. This
vile accusation against your mistress answers another purpose besides
the vindictive one--it is the very best screen that the wretch could
possibly set up to hide herself from detection. It has stopped your
mistress and you from moving in the matter; it exhibits her in the false
character of an honest witness against a couple of criminals; it gives
her time to dispose of the goods, or to hide them, or to do anything she
likes with them. Stop! let me be quite sure that I know what the
lost things are. A pair