The house had been locked up, and Sproot had retired, at about half past ten.
Sibella had gone to her room immediately after dinner, and had remained there.
Hemming and the cook had lingered in the kitchen until shortly after eleven, at which time Sproot had heard them ascend to their rooms.
The first intimation Sproot had of Mrs. Greene’s death was when the nurse sent him to draw the reception-room shades at nine that morning.
Markham dismissed him and sent for the cook. She was, it appeared, unaware of Mrs. Greene’s death and of Ada’s poisoning as well; and what evidence she had to give was of no importance. She had, she said, been in the kitchen or in her own room practically all of the preceding day.
Hemming was interviewed next. From the nature of the questions put to her she became suspicious almost at once. Her piercing eyes narrowed, and she gave us a look of shrewd triumph.
“You can’t hoodwink me,” she burst out. “The Lord’s been busy with his besom again. And a good thing, too! ‘The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked shall he destroy.’ ”
“ ‘Will,’ ” corrected Vance. “And seeing that you have been so tenderly preserved, perhaps we had better inform you that both Miss Ada and Mrs. Greene have been poisoned.”
He was watching the woman closely, but it took no scrutiny to see her cheeks go pale and her jaw sag. The Lord had evidently been too precipitously devastating even for this devout disciple; and her faith was insufficient to counteract her fear.
“I’m going to leave this house,” she declared faintly. “I’ve seen enough to bear witness for the Lord.”
“An excellent idea,” nodded Vance. “And the sooner you go the more time you’ll have to give apocryphal testimony.”
Hemming rose, a bit dazed, and started for the archway. Then she quickly turned back and glared at Markham maliciously.
“But let me tell you something before I pass from this den of iniquity. That Miss Sibella is the worst of the lot, and the Lord is going to strike her down next—mark my words! There’s no use to try and save her. She’s—doomed!”