This the lawyer proceeded to amidst a dead silence. No one interrupted him until his recital was ended. To make things clear, he narrated his discoveries from the very beginning, and recounted his interview with Mrs. Gilroy, with Tolomeo and with Beryl. At the end of his story everyone looked at one another. Lucy shuddered and hid her face, overwhelmed by the discovery of the wickedness of the man she had been engaged to. Alice was quite pale, thinking of the nets in which Bernard had been caught, and which were now on the eve of being broken, that he might escape. Conniston said a word under his breath not exactly fitted for the drawing-room, but which was overheard by Miss Berengaria and approved by that lady.
"Thank you, Conniston," she said, taking a pinch of snuff with relish. "Never tell me that I am not a judge of character. I knew that scamp was the murderer ages ago. I said so. Now"—she addressed Durham with a suddenness which made him jump—"what's to be done?"
"I intend to have Beryl arrested."
"And then?"
"I shall make Bernard give himself up. The whole case must be tried in court. Also I shall have Michael arrested."
"But why, if he is innocent?"
"My dear Miss Plantagenet," said the lawyer, slowly, "Mrs. Gilroy is an important witness in this case. She is hiding. As soon as she sees that her son is arrested, and in danger of being condemned as an accessory before the fact, she will come out and give evidence to show that he acted merely as the tool of Beryl. In a word, she will save him."
"Which is four or five words. Well, Durham, I don't say but what you are right, and if—Good gracious, what's that?"
This was the sudden entrance of Maria, looking pale. She hurried up to her mistress and caught her arm. "Oh, ma'am, come to see that poor gentleman," she said. "He is very ill—I don't know what's the matter."
Neither Miss Berengaria nor the others were startled; it was to be expected that Michael would have frequent lapses in his illness.