Mr. Ferrick ponders these things in his heart, and is still. This
vagabond, Juan Catheron, follows my lady to Catheron Royals, is
expelled, haunts the grounds, and a man answering to his description
is discovered quarrelling with my lady, demanding money, etc., two or
three hours before the murder. The window of the room, in which she
takes that fatal sleep, opens on the lawn; any one may enter who sees
fit. No one is about. The Oriental dagger lies convenient to his hand
on the table. "Here, now," says Mr. Ferrick _to_ Mr. Ferrick, with
a reflective frown, "which is guilty--the brother or sister?"

He goes and gives an order to one of his men, and the man starts in
search of Mr. Juan Catheron. Mr. Catheron must be found, though they
summon the detectives of Scotland Yard to aid them in their search.

The dull hours wear on--the new day, sunny and bright, is with them.
The white drawing-room is darkened--the master of Catheron Royals sits
there alone with his dead. And presently the coroner comes, and talks
with the superintendent, and they enter softly and look at the
murdered lady. The coroner departs again--a jury is summoned, and the
inquest is fixed to begin at noon next day in the "Mitre" tavern at
Chesholm.

Lady Helena returns and goes at once to her nephew. Inez, in spite of
her injunctions, has never been near him once. He sits there still, as
she left him many hours ago; he has never stirred or spoken since.
Left to himself he is almost apathetic in his quiet--he rouses into
fury, when they strive to take him away. As the dusk falls, Lady
Helena, passing the door, hears him softly talking to the dead, and
once--oh, pitiful Heaven! she hears a low, blood-chilling laugh. She
opens the door and goes in. He is kneeling besides the sofa, holding