"Nothing. I ran out and asked Mrs. Armour to take me back, and hold her tongue. I slept that night at her house, as her husband was away, and then went home by an early train. Mrs. Mountford let me into my home, and no one knew that I had been away."
"And when you heard that your father had been murdered?"
"I thought Captain Kyles had lost his temper and had killed him."
"Oh. Then you did not believe that it was me, after all."
"No. I never knew that you were in the house. But when I heard that you had been arrested, I thought, in any case, that you would be hanged, and so joined in the cry against you. I wanted to save Bruce," wailed Maud.
"I see," said Herries, horrified at this callous girl, "so you were willing to hang an innocent man, and marry one whom you thought had murdered your father."
"Bruce did _not_ murder Sir Simon," put in Señora Guzman vehemently, "it is not true. I came here, Mr. Herries, to explain all I could, and to ask you to come on board the yacht which is at Tarhaven."
"Will I see Captain Kyles?"
"Yes. He wishes to see you about the money."
"Why should I pay the money?"