“She thinks that Masson killed her dogs, but she has no proof. It is only suspicion.”
Patsy looked up in great surprise at Nick when he said the last words. Then he saw that Nick had a purpose in the way he was replying to Edith.
“Well, it is not suspicion when he entices Blanche into an empty house, where he is alone, is it?” cried Edith, quite heatedly.
“What is that you are saying?” asked Nick.
“I didn’t mean to speak of it,” said Edith, “for Blanche is so afraid of the scandal of it. But the grass was hardly green over the grave of her husband when Masson renewed his attentions to Blanche. That was bad enough in itself.
“She drove him away angrily, and yet he persisted in writing to her until she returned his letters unopened.
“Then one day, having by some means learned that Blanche was befriending a poor family, he enticed her to go to see that poor family at a certain house.
“When she entered the house the poor family was not there, but Masson was, and he was alone.
“Then he told her that she was compromised by entering that house, for every one in the neighborhood knew that a bachelor lived there, and had seen her enter.
“Blanche only got out of the house by drawing her revolver and fighting her way out.