“Hah!” the exclamation given by Miss Prall was full of meaning. It seemed to imply a sort of triumphant surprise, a welcome knowledge, a looked-for and longed-for state of things.
“This gives strength to your suspicions?” insinuated Gibbs.
“It does,” and the Grenadier sat up even straighter and her face was even more indicative of elation as she added, “it does, indeed!”
“And perhaps you will tell us to whom your suspicion points?” urged the detective.
“That I will do,” she declared, but Bates broke in with a “Hush, Aunt Letitia! I command you not to speak!”
CHAPTER XIII
Motives
“I’ve got to speak, Ricky,” Miss Prall said, but her tone was not angry now. She seemed to have changed her mood and was half frightened, half sad. “I’ve got to speak, to save myself. Don’t you see that if that paper-cutter points towards me,—as Mr Gibbs implies, I must tell what I know——”
“What you know,” assented Bates, “but not what you suspect.”