took a step
forward with fiery glance so that Garvington, retreating, nearly tumbled
over a chair--"you laid a trap for Hubert into which he fell."

"I never did--I never did!" babbled Garvington, gray with fear.

"Yes, you did. I swear to it. Now I understand why you threatened to
shoot any possible burglar who should come to The Manor. You learned, in
some way, I don't know how, that Hubert was with the gypsies, and,
knowing his jealous nature, you wrote this letter and let it fall into
his hands, so that he might risk being shot as a robber and a thief."

"I--I--I--didn't shoot him," panted the man brokenly.

"It was not for the want of trying. You broke his arm, and probably
would have followed him out to inflict a mortal wound if your accomplice
in the shrubbery had not been beforehand with you."

"Agnes, I swear that I took Pine for a burglar, and I don't know who
shot him. Really, I don't!"

"You liar!" said Agnes with intense scorn. "When you posted your
accompl--"

She had no chance to finish the word, for Garvington broke in furiously
and made a great effort to assert himself. "I had no accomplice. Who
shot Pine I don't know. I never wrote the letter; I never lured him to
his death; he was more good to me alive than dead. He never--"

"He was not more good to you alive than dead," interrupted Lady Agnes in
her turn. "For Hubert despised you for the way in which you tried to
trick him out of money. He thought you little better than a criminal,
and only hushed up your wickedness for my sake. You would have got no
more money out of him, and you know that much. By killing him you hoped
that I would get the fortune and then you could plunder me at your
leisure. Hubert was hard to manage, and you thought that I would be
easy. Well, I have got the money and you have got rid of Hubert. But I
shall punish you."

"Punish me?" Garvington passed his tongue over his dry lips, and looked
as though in his terror he would go down on his knees to plead.

"Oh, not by denouncing you to the police," said his sister
contemptuously. "For, bad as you are, I have to consider our family
name. But you had Hubert shot so as to get the money through me, and
now that I am in possession I shall surrender it to the person named
in the sealed envelope."

"No! No! No! No! Don't--don't--"

"Yes, I shall. I can do so by marrying Noel. I shall no longer consider
the financial position of the family. I have sacrificed enough, and I