"Friend! Judas, rather."
"No. He is only a weak man who is as wax in the hands of a clever and pretty woman. But Mrs. Ward got sufficient out of him to place me in a somewhat perilous position."
"Were you in the room where the woman was murdered? Speak plainly."
"I came on here purposely to speak plainly," rejoined Brendon, dryly, "for your safety as well as for my own."
"Safety, sir!" Derrington grew crimson. "What the devil do you mean?"
"I mean that I can speak freely to you, as I know perfectly well that for the honor of our family----"
"Our family--confound you!"
"Our family," repeated George, "of which some day I hope to be the head. For its honor, I say, you will not take these matters into court. I was in the room of Mrs. Jersey. I saw her dead!"
"And you know who killed her?"
"No. I can't say that for certain." George looked keenly at his grandfather. The old man appeared uneasy. Suddenly Brendon spoke. "I should like to know what you were doing in Mrs. Jersey's house on the night she was murdered?"