"Yes, yes," René said impatiently, "I know all that. Why did you kill him?"
"Why should I have killed him?" was the cool response. "At the rate he was going he would have drunk himself to death in another week."
The rage and lust for vengeance was only smouldering in René's eyes now. It was just possible that he had made a mistake after all.
"But you were in the house," he said, "disguised as a Spanish woman----"
"Of course I was. Leon and myself had come to an understanding. He was going abroad after he had sent you the money. At great risk to myself I passed between here and the Corner House. I had to disguise myself. And when everything was ready Leon got at the brandy bottle again. For some nights he had not slept. When I got to the Corner House late that night Leon was practically dead. Ah, better for me if I had left him to die."
The passionate despair of the tones touched René. It did not seem possible to the man that this woman was acting.
"But I didn't do anything of the kind," Leona resumed. "I had Balmayne to back me up. He played the part of a deaf mute servant for me and fetched Dr. Bruce in the motor car. When Bruce came I departed, at least I left him on the premises. I dared not stay any longer. Half Bruce's story was a clever lie. He only told a portion of it. And it has been proved beyond doubt that the notes Leon intended to send to you were paid by Dr. Bruce to a firm in the Tottenham Court Road for some furniture. I am not romancing; you can see all this in the papers. Every one of those missing notes had Dr. Bruce's signature on the back. How do you get over that?"
René was silent for a moment. The woman's tongue was getting round him. And the practical part of her story was true.
"Now, listen to me," he said hoarsely. "I came here to kill you; I came here to be avenged on my brother's murderer. When you saw me come in you were afraid."
"Because I read your errand in your eyes. But I am not afraid now."