one_ the truth concerning the diamonds. In spite of this, one evening,
when some imp possessed me, I told Sybil Lamotte; I shall never forget
her strange manner, nor her wild words. Clifford, that awful mistake of
mine almost made Sybil a murderess."

"Constance!"

"Listen, dear! Sybil had brooded over what I had told her. Trouble was
unsettling her mind. She had some valuable jewels; she went with her
mother to the city, and while there, had the real stones replaced by
paste, as I had done, and received two thousand dollars for her
diamonds.

"In some way she had found out that Jerry Belknap was a man to be
bought; she obtained an interview with him, and offered him two thousand
dollars if he would _get John Burrill out of her way_!"

"Good heavens!"

"Don't interrupt me. Belknap agreed to remove Burrill, and received five
hundred dollars in advance. He sent to the city for a ruffian, one of
his tools. The man came, but Mr. Bathurst had his eye upon him. On the
night of the murder, this ruffian was hidden outside of the saloon,
waiting to follow and waylay John Burrill when he should go home. The
boy detective, George, was hidden and watching the ruffian. Do you
follow?"

"Yes! yes!"

"When Burrill came out of the saloon, the ruffian, supposing of course
that he was going home, hurried on ahead, crossed the bridge, and
secreted himself in the hedge. The boy, George, was far enough behind to
see that Burrill was _not_ going home, but he was acting as directed by
Mr. Bathurst, and so followed the ruffian. Think of it, Clifford! While
Sybil's paid assassin lay in wait for his victim, Sybil's brother was
saving her soul from guilt, by taking a crime upon his own. But for
Evan's knife, poor half crazed Sybil would have been a murderess, and
this I knew in part from the first, and that is why I said, that the
true slayer must not be punished; until they brought Evan Lamotte into
court, I believed that Sybil was the guilty one."

"And you could not betray your unfortunate friend? My true hearted
Constance!"

"I had promised Mrs. Lamotte not to betray her, but was nerving myself
to dare all and save you, when poor Evan threw himself into the breach,
and saved us, all three. You must know, Clifford, that Mr. Belknap made
a full confession to Mr. Bathurst, when he found he could do no better.
And Mr. Bathurst, knowing that I was aware of Sybil's dealings with
Belknap, told me everything."

"And this is what Bathurs