"I will allow you," repeated the Major smoothly, "on condition that you give me the Obi necklace."
"What?" asked Beatrice, starting back, "Colonel Hall's----"
"It was his property. I knew him very well," interrupted Ruck. "He gave that necklace to Mrs. Hedge."
"To my mother? Impossible! The necklace was stolen when Colonel Hall was murdered in this very house."
"So it was thought, but I know otherwise. Colonel Hall gave the necklace to Mrs. Hedge, who was his cousin, just before the murder. I learned that from Alpenny, who was in the house at the time; and that was why Alpenny married Mrs. Hedge--he wanted the necklace. And that is why I wished to marry you," added Ruck, smiling blandly, "as I want the necklace. It is valued at ten thousand pounds, and Alpenny promised to give it to you when we married."
"I don't know how much of this is true, or how much is not," said Beatrice, looking puzzled, and pressing her hands to her head; "but I have not got the necklace. I never knew that my stepfather had it. There is no need for you to get angry, Major Ruck. I know nothing about the necklace save what I heard from Mrs. Lilly; and she told me that Colonel Hall was murdered, and the necklace was stolen."
"The necklace was given to Mrs. Hedge," said Ruck, who was now very angry, "and Alpenny promised to give it to you. If you give it to me, I will go out of your life and you can marry Paslow; if not, I can stop this marriage."
"I defy you to do your worst," said Paslow savagely.
"Don't do that; it might be dangerous," said Ruck, with a meaning look. "Well, Miss Hedge?" He turned to Beatrice.
"I know nothing about the necklace," she replied. "If you married me you would marry a pauper. Lady Watson has Mr. Alpenny's money; and if he did receive the necklace from my mother, he certainly never gave it to me, or even spoke of its existence."