"It may be so," assented the doctor, gloomily. "Love warps my mind, perhaps, but the whole case is so extraordinary and mysterious that it is difficult to say who is, and who is not, concerned in it."
"In my opinion the whole lot are concerned in it," said Cass, "and the desire for money is the cause of the crime. By the way, I asked Schwartz about the Gordon sisters."
"He knows both, I suppose?"
"Yes; but he praises only one--Janet Gordon. Mrs. Moxton he appears to think very little of."
"That may be because he does not know her so well. Janet was in the employment of Schwartz as a programme-seller and attendant, but Mrs. Moxton, being a typewriting girl, only occasionally visited the hall. In any case I admit that the Gordon girls appear to be shady."
"Yet you think of marrying one."
"I shall not do so if I find out anything wrong," said Ellis. "It is true that I am in love with Mrs. Moxton, but should her past be a bad one, I am sufficiently reasonable to crush down my feelings. Still, I believe that she is more sinned against than sinning; and it will be my task to solve the mystery of this murder--to prove that my belief is a true one."
"I am with you there, Bob, and I shall help you with all my heart. But I tell you plainly that Schwartz has no very good opinion of Mrs. Moxton. He declares that she is frivolous, vain and foolish."
"She is none of the three, Harry, believe me. And Janet?"
"Janet is staunch, honest, clever and honourable. Schwartz respects her highly, and he is not the man to bestow praise unduly."