"With the clothes in disorder," echoed Clarice, raising herself. "Why, when I saw poor Uncle Henry's corpse, the clothes were carefully arranged and smoothed."
"I did that," said Mr. Clarke, in a broken voice. "I saw that he was dead, so I arranged the clothes and hastily went away, without touching anything in the room."
"Why did you not give the alarm?"
"Why!" cried Clarke, astonished; "when I might have been accused of committing the crime? Am I a fool, Clarice? My mere presence at such an hour would have accused me. No! I returned home, and said nothing about what I had seen. It was a few minutes past two o'clock when I regained my bed."
"And," Clarice asked the question in a low, anxious voice, "did you see anyone within or without the house?"
"No. I saw no one and heard nothing. Who was it saw me?"
"Zara Dumps, who had gone out late at night to procure medicine for her mother."
"And why did she not accuse me?"
"She did, to Prudence, and so made Prudence give up Ferdy, whom Zara wishes to marry."
"Then Zara made a false accusation, and I wonder that my daughter believed her."