"Beatrice!" he said breathlessly, then dropped the hand which he had seized. "You know who stands between us."
"She may not always stand between us, Vivian."
"What! Is she dead?"
"No. But Major Ruck---- Wait, Vivian; let us sit down and talk. I have much to tell you, dear."
"Yes, yes. Sit here!" Vivian hurriedly led her towards a garden seat near the battered sundial, and fixing his eyes on her tired face, waited impatiently for what she had to say. But Beatrice did not begin at once: she wanted to startle him into telling the truth.
"Major Ruck and Waterloo both accuse you of killing Alpenny," she said bluntly, and looking straightly at him.
Vivian jumped up with a suppressed oath. "What a lie!"
"Tell me," she said quickly--"tell me exactly what you did on that night."
"I have told you. I caught Waterloo and kicked him; then I looked for you, and not finding you, went home. Next morning I called to see how you were getting on, and gave the key of the smaller gate to Durban, who hung it up in the counting-house, as he told you."
"You were not near this place on that night?"