"I didn't," sobbed Maud, interrupting swiftly.
"You did. Sir Simon asked me to his house when we came to see him on business--we--Bruce and myself. I told you that I was engaged to be married. And you,--you tried to get him away."
"And I succeeded," said Maud with dismal triumph, "he made love to me, he kissed me."
"I know that. He told me everything."
"What! He--told--you."
"Yes," snapped the Señora, "we wanted money,--heaps of money. Sir Simon knew that we didn't want war-ships, but only money for this treasure expedition. At first he would lend, then he would not. Then since you were so shameless----"
"Señora, Señora," pleaded Herries, quite helpless between these two fierce creatures quarrelling over a man.
"I must speak," she cried loudly, and striking the table with her gloved hand. "She must be told the truth, for once in her silly, vapid life. She dares to pit herself against me,--the daughter of a house which has been famous for centuries. She dares to compare her feeble, washed-out beauty with mine--with mine. Ah," she raised her arms with a proud gesture, "look at me, look at you. I tell you, Bruce would lay down his life for me."
"He shall, on the gallows," panted Maud viciously.
"Pah, you little fool," sneered the Mexican woman with scorn, "you have been a catspaw to get the money. I told Bruce to make love to you, to lead you on, to twist you round his little finger, and all to get the money. Was I wrong, seeing how shamelessly you tried to steal my lover? No," she answered herself, "I was right. Bruce told Sir Simon that he would take you away. Sir Simon forbade you to think of Bruce. You persisted, and then he said he would cut you out of his will. He wrote a letter to Brace telling him that he had done so, and asked him to meet him at this inn, offering to bribe him to give you up. You," said Señora Guzman with an insulting laugh, "you, for whom Bruce cared nothing. Bruce said that he would take two thousand pounds more or less. He hinted as much to Sir Simon, and he came here with that amount of money. Then Sir Simon was murdered----"