"Yes, I believe he did speak to me once. But we had little conversation. What did he tell you about Arnold--Mr. Calvert?"
"Never be ashamed of speaking his Christian name, my dear," advised Mrs. Baldwin. "Lovers will be lovers; eh, Mrs. Fane?"
"It would seem so," said Julia serenely. "I dislike demonstrative affection myself. But what did this professor say?"
"Professor Bocaros is his name," said Mrs. Baldwin, who would tell her story in her own slow way. "He told me that Mr. Calvert had come into a fortune."
"Into a fortune?" gasped Laura, turning even paler than she was.
"Of course, my dear, you know all about it," said Mrs. Baldwin playfully. "He told you that this poor woman who was killed here was his cousin."
Laura uttered an ejaculation and stared, but Julia interposed. "We did hear something about it," she said. "Has this woman left Mr. Calvert a fortune?"
"So Professor Bocaros says," replied the other woman. "Ten thousand a year. I suppose he'll spend some in finding how the poor soul came by her death in this very room," said Mrs. Baldwin, with a shudder.
"I suppose he will. Let us hope so," said Julia. "Laura, you are not looking well. Had you not better lie down?"
"Thank you," said Laura mechanically, and without a word left the room. But Julia, with a hasty apology to the astonished Mrs. Baldwin, followed, and outside the door caught her sister by the arm. "You wanted to find a motive for Arnold Calvert committing this crime," she said. "It was for the money."