t understand, you are
on parole and must not leave this house unaccompanied by a constable or
plain-clothes man. This thing's got to be sifted to the bottom, and,
what's more, it's going to be, too. And whoever has murdered that poor
old man will swing for it, so help me God!"

CHAPTER XIV

IN WHICH RHEA TAKES A HAND

The silence that followed this last solemn remark of Cleek's was fraught
with unknown, tremendous issues. One could have heard a pin drop in the
still room. Then at last Lady Paula stirred.

"You have finished, Mr. Deland-- Mr. Narkom? I may go now?"

"In one more moment, Lady Paula. There is simply the matter of the will
now to be thrashed out before you disperse and leave us to work out the
problem as best we may. You have, no doubt, put it away, Mr. Duggan? I
didn't see it here when I investigated early this morning."

"I've done nothing of the sort, Mr. Deland."

"Oh!---is that so? I beg you pardon. Then perhaps you, Miss Duggan?"

"Certainly not. I've never laid a finger upon it!" returned she, with a
shake of the head and amazement written all over her countenance. "I've
never thought about it again from that moment to this! Why, of course it
must have been upon the table when--when poor Father met his--death. He
was just about to alter the name when the light went out."

"Then you were using the electric switch last night instead of the
customary lamp, I take it?"

"Yes. Father did use it at intervals, and I suppose in this case he
thought it better for seeing with. For it was certainly on. A lamp could
never have failed as that light did, Mr. Deland. No doubt it would have
been better if we had not used the electricity, for the dreadful thing
could never have taken place then, could it?"

"And so we must put that down to Ross, and lay the whole blame upon
_him_, at any rate!" snapped out Lady Paula in an angry voice; and Cleek
thought, for a woman so shortly bereft, she was singularly well
recovered from the shock--if it had ever been one in the first instance.
"For if he had not installed this dreadful thing, then surely, surely my
poor, poor husband would never have met with his death at all!'

"Oh, have done with your nagging, Paula!" responded Ross irritably as
she ceased speaking.

And Cleek obtained silence simply by stepping into the breach himself.

"Well," he said serenely, "the will has disappeared, at any rate. No
servant has touched it, I suppose? Or entered this