"But I do," said Mrs. Drass, with a sniff; "he has gone to see that minx!"
"What minx?" asked Paul, astonished.
"Catinka, the violinist," replied Mrs. Drass, coolly. "Oh, Mr. Lovel told me all about that hussy! Mr. Herne did not love Milly; he loves this Catinka, and she loves him. That was why Mr. Herne went up to town so often; and why he has gone now."
"Impossible!" said Mexton, growing pale as he thought of his own passion for the violinist.
"I tell you it is so!" rejoined Mrs. Drass, wrathfully. "If she doesn't love him, why did she come down here?"
"To Marborough?"
"No, to Barnstead. She was in the church on the night Milly was murdered."
"What!" cried Iris, sharply. "Was she the strange lady I saw leaving the church?"
"She was!" said Mrs. Drass, triumphantly. "I saw her, too, and made it my business to find out all about her. There was a Marborough friend of mine in the church who saw Catinka when she gave her concert. She tells me to-day--I have just parted from her--that the strange lady who was in the church on that night was Catinka. Now what do you say, Mr. Mexton?"
Paul had nothing to say. He did not even open his lips, but wondered if Catinka had anything to do with the rainbow feather, the finding of which had disturbed Herne so greatly.