Tollart rushed at the barrister and would have struck him, but that Rupert pushed his big body between the two. "Don't lose your temper, Tollart. What does it matter? Carrington will have plenty to do to clear himself without calling anyone silly names. You understand," he added, turning toward the lawyer, "that both Ark and the doctor can swear to your presence in Barship on the night when Leigh was killed. You knew from me about the will and came down to murder the vicar."
"I did not. Even if I had wanted the will, I should not have murdered him."
"Pshaw!" said Rupert again, and pushing his advantage relentlessly, "all this denial will not serve you. Perhaps you may not have intended to murder the vicar when you struck the blow. I will do you that justice. But, as Leigh had a weak heart, you went too far and he died. Then you took the will and buried it under the sundial----"
"I didn't know where the sundial was," interpolated Carrington, shivering.
"That's a lie!" snarled Mallien swiftly, "for on the first day I met you I took you round the garden and, among other things, pointed out the sundial. You buried the will there, and then sent an anonymous letter to Mrs. Beatson so that she might find it and avert suspicion from yourself. You believed that Rupert would buy your silence to keep the property, and, failing his doing so, you came to threaten me."
"And I do. You were at the Vicarage on that night?"
"How do you know that?"
Carrington saw that he had said too much and glanced toward the door in the hope of getting away. But Rupert was between him and safety, and Rupert looked as stern and determined as a destroying angel. "You needn't think you will escape, Carrington," he said. "As you have sown, so you must reap."
"And your reaping will place a rope round your neck," said Mallien grimly. "You came to have me hanged, but you will go away under Lawson's escort to be hanged yourself. I was at the Vicarage on that night. I wanted to see Leigh about getting the will. But I did not leave my cottage until eleven, and by that time you had murdered Leigh."
"I did not! I did not!" and Carrington winced and cringed and shivered with all the courage oozing out of him.