“You don’t know any such thing. You made that up——”
“I didn’t!”
“You did!”
“Hush!” Wise’s peremptory tone brought a momentary silence. “Now that you’ve reached the stage of silly vituperation, it’s time to call a halt. This foolishness is uninteresting as well as unpleasant. You two ladies will answer a few questions,—in the name of the law!”
The last phrase, high sounding and threatening, had its desired effect. Like most women, they had a hearty and healthy fear of that mysterious thing called the law, and when it was held over their heads it acted as a rod.
“You have accused one another of the murder of Sir Herbert,” Wise began, trying to sound formal and awe-inspiring. “Have you, Mrs Everett, any grounds for such accusation other than a foolish speech about wishing the man was dead?”
“No,” was the sulky answer; “that is, I have no definite grounds, but I’ve known Letitia Prall for many years and I know her to be quite capable of murder or any other crime!”
“A belief in capability is not evidence,” said Wise, sternly, and turned to Letitia.
“Have you, Miss Prall, definite evidence against Mrs Everett that you accuse her?”
“She wanted the man dead——”