operly of my wife, or I'll wring your neck," said Lambert
sharply. "As to what she told me being lies, it is only too true, as you
know. I read the letter you wrote confessing that you had lured Pine
here to be shot by telling falsehoods about Agnes and me."

"I only lured him to get his arm broken so that I might nurse him when
he was ill and get some money," growled Garvington, sitting down again.

"I am well aware of what you did and how you did it. But you gave that
forged letter to Silver so that it might be passed on to Pine."

"I didn't! I didn't! I didn't! I didn't!"

"You did. And because Silver knew too much you gave him the Abbot's Wood
Cottage at a cheap rent, or at no rent at all, for all I know. To be
quite plain, Garvington, you conspired with Silver to have Pine killed."

"Winged--only winged, I tell you. I never shot him."

"Your accomplice did."

"He's not my accomplice. He was in the house--everything was locked up."

"By you," said Lambert quickly. "So it was easy for you to leave a
window unfastened, so that Silver might get outside to hide in the
shrubbery."

"Oh!" Garvington jumped up again, looking both pale and wicked. "You
want to put a rope round my neck, curse you."

"That's a melodramatic speech which is not true," replied the other
coldly. "For I want to save you, or, rather, our name, from disgrace.
I won't call in the police"--Garvington winced at this word--"because
I wish to hush the matter up. But since Chaldea and Silver accuse me
and accuse Agnes of getting rid of Pine so that we might marry, it is
necessary that I should learn the exact truth."

"I don't know it. I know nothing more than I have confessed."

"You are such a liar that I can't believe you. However, I shall go at
once to Silver and you shall come with me."

"I shan't!" Garvington, who was overfed and flabby and unable to hold
his own against a determined man, settled himself in his chair and
looked as obstinate as a battery mule.

"Oh, yes, you will, you little swine," said Lambert freezingly cold.

"How dare you call me names?"

"Names! If I called you those you deserved I should have to annex the
vocabulary of a Texan muledriver. How such a beast as you ever got into
our family I can't conceive."

"I am the head of the family and I order you to leave the room."

"Oh, you do, do you? Very good. Then I go straight to Wanbury and shall
tell what I have discovered to Inspector Darby."

"No! No! No! N