"I do. The murders--both of them--were committed by the man with the black patch. What do you know of that?"
"Nothing, save that I used the words to frighten Alpenny, and found them on the paper laid on my desk."
"Do you know who laid that paper there?"
"I have not the least idea. The desk is near the window, and that was open. Any one could have passed the paper through the window. I asked Dinah and Mrs. Lilly, but neither one of them knew how the paper came to be there."
"If you remember," continued Beatrice slowly, "Mr. Alpenny muttered something about it being the third time. Well, then, I truly believe that the words you used unconsciously were a warning. Twice he was warned, and on the third warning he expected to be killed. That was why, I believe, he arranged to go up to town, when he was struck down. You were used by someone as the unconscious instrument to give him the warning."
"I might have been, but----"
"That is," she added, coming so close to him that he felt her breath on his cheek, "if you really and truly are ignorant of the meaning of the words."
"I swear that I am," stammered Vivian, turning red. "Then your secret has nothing to do with the black patch?"
"No. I am as puzzled as you are over that. Well?"
"Well," said Beatrice, looking over her shoulder--she had moved towards the door of her bedroom as he spoke--"I intend to go to the Grange, and I do not care whether you stop there or not. The worst is over now. I know that you love me----"