“It’s not your fault that your dear father is dead.”

“I persuaded him to see Mrs. Brown. And she—she—she—”

“We can’t say if this woman is guilty, as yet,” said Durwin hastily, “so do not blame yourself, Miss Moon. But did you smell any scent on this Mrs. Brown?”

Lillian looked at him vacantly and shook her head. Then she burst once more into hard and painful sobbing, trying again to embrace the dead man.

“Don’t ask her any questions, Sir,” said Halliday, in a low voice to Mr. Durwin, “you see she is not in a fit state to reply. Lillian,” he raised her up from her knees and gently but firmly detached her arms from the dead. “My darling, your father is past all earthly aid. We can do nothing but avenge him. Go with Mrs. Bolstreath and lie down. We must be firm.”

“Firm! Firm—and Father dead!” wailed Lillian. “Oh, what a wretch that Mrs. Brown must be to kill him! Kill her, Dan—oh, make her suffer! My good, kind father, who—who—oh”—she flung herself on Dan’s neck—“take me away! take me away!” and her lover promptly carried her to the door.

Mrs. Bolstreath, who had been talking hurriedly to Inspector Tenson, came after the pair and took the girl from Dan. “She must lie down and have a sleeping-draught,” she said softly. “If the doctor will come—”

The doctor was only too glad to come. He was a young man beginning to practise medicine in the neighbourhood, and had been hurriedly summoned in default of an older physician. The chance of gaining a new and wealthy patient was too good to lose, so he quickly followed Mrs. Bolstreath as she led the half-unconscious girl up the stairs. Dan closed the door and returned to the Inspector and the official from Scotland Yard. The former was speaking.

“Mrs. Bolstreath did not smell any perfume on Mrs. Brown,” he was saying, “and ladies are very quick to notice such things. Miss Moon also shook her head.”

“I don’t think Miss Moon was in a state of mind to understand what you were saying, Mr. Inspector,” said Halliday, drily. “However, I am quite sure from my own observation that Mrs. Brown did not use the perfume. I would have noticed it at once, for I spotted it the moment I examined the body.”

“So did I,” said Durwin once more; “but I thought Sir Charles might have used it.