"So Alder said," continued Dean. "Still I was too afraid to venture, and remained in hiding at the Hall, thankful that Alder kept my secret I must say that in every way he acted like a true friend, for he could easily have given warning about me to the authorities."
"I wonder he did not do so for Miss Gilmar's sake," said Gebb.
"Had he deemed me guilty he would have done so," cried Dean, quickly; "but I told him the whole facts of the case, and declared that Laura, being possessed of the knife, had killed her brother. Alder in the end said he believed in my innocence, but he declined to look upon Laura as the assassin. He fancied that Miss Gilmar had committed the crime, and to shield herself, and punish me for not being in love with her, she accused me. Still, he declined to believe that she had confessed her guilt in writing. I was certain, however, from what Mrs. Grix said, that she had, and----"
"This is all very well," interrupted Gebb, quickly, "but it does not explain your visit to Grangebury."
[CHAPTER XXIV]
PROOF POSITIVE
Impatient of the interruption, Dean looked at Gebb in a quick, irritable way, like a man whose nerves are not under control; but, in his own interests, he answered quietly enough--
"I am coming to the Grangebury visit shortly," he said, "but it is necessary for me to explain what led to it, so that you may not misunderstand my reason for going there."
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Dean," replied the detective. "Pray go on."
"As I said before," continued the prisoner, "I was certain that Miss Gilmar had left a confession behind her, and after months of search I found it."