"I believe that. I am certain that the man I love would never descend to sordid crime. But you have been drawn into the toils of this gang. I believe that Alpenny was the head--he decoyed you into his snares; or else Ruck--Major Ruck, his decoy-duck."
"There is some truth in what you say, but----"
"No; you must speak out. I will stand by you to the end, and do all I can to reveal my love more and more. But I refuse"--she drew herself upright--"to marry you unless you tell me the whole truth."
"Give me time," he panted, and clenched his hands.
"No. You must tell me now, or to-night we part for ever."
Paslow uttered a groan, and moved forward two or three steps as though about to seek safety in flight. "Beatrice!" he said brokenly.
"Your answer?" she demanded, making every effort to appear calm.
But the answer was not to come from Paslow. Even while he opened his mouth to speak, Jerry appeared on the lawn with two ladies. One was Dinah, as they could see by the evening-dress; the other a tall, slim, fair-haired woman, fashionably arrayed in walking-costume. The moonlight was strong, but neither Beatrice nor Paslow could tell who the strange woman was.
"Hullo, Vivian!" shouted Jerry; "here is Miss Carr, who wants to see you."
He would have said more, but was drawn back by Dinah, who apparently was still jealous of the stranger. Beatrice remembered that this was the woman with whom Jerry had been speaking during the day, the same that had awakened the jealousy of Dinah. Also, she was the daughter of the ex-butler. She advanced with gliding steps, and looked like a beautiful lithe tigress stealing towards her prey.