"But she said nothing at the inquest, either."
"Did you?" he retorted. "If she had had a row with the child it would have sounded pretty bad."
"But Clare's incapable of deceit."
"She might say the same of you."
"But—if your guess were true, it would be Clare's fault—all Clare's fault—not mine at all!" she deducted slowly.
"It's not your fault, anyway," he assured her.
"But it would have been too utterly cruel of Clare not to have told me. She knew what I felt at the time—why not have told me?"
"She might have been afraid—you might have shrunk——"
"From Clare?" She smiled securely. Then, with a change of tone: "No, Roger. All this is guessing, far-fetched guessing."
"Anyhow, Alwynne," he said sharply, "there was gross cruelty in her treatment of that child. You can't excuse it. Directly or indirectly, she is responsible for her death."