“Then,—it was——”
“Yes, it was.”
“Dorcas Everett, she means,” Zizi said, scornfully. “As well accuse me! You must know, Molly, you can’t put over any such a bluff as that!”
“All right, you needn’t believe it if you don’t want to. But Miss Everett and her mother are the ‘women’ you are after.”
“That child couldn’t do such a thing!”
“Oh, she didn’t do anything but obey her mother’s orders blindly. Mrs Everett and her maid, Kate Holland, committed the murder and Dorcas kept watch in the hall without knowing why she was doing it. Now, Mr Bates knows all about it,—and he knows that I know. And I said I’d tell if he didn’t marry me, so rather than have his girl accused, or his girl’s——”
“Zizi, why do we listen to this pack of lies?” exclaimed Wise. “This girl is making up as fast as she can talk,——”
“Indeed I’m not!” cried Molly, seemingly in desperation; “I can prove all I’m saying! Here’s my wedding ring——”
“Yes, but Mr Bates didn’t give it to you,” said Zizi, scornfully. “I know who did, though, and if you’ll own up it will be better for you.”
Now Zizi didn’t know at all,—in fact, she wasn’t sure that Molly hadn’t bought the ring herself, but both Wise and Zizi were at a loss to know which way to turn next, and they were omitting no possible chance at a stray bit of information.