“Why did you not come to the Court yourself?” George asked quickly.
“I had no desire to meet the father of my dead lover,” she replied.
“But he must have been acquainted with you, because he mentioned you in his will.”
“Yes,” she answered reflectively, “he must, I suppose, have known of me.”
“Then what occurred afterwards?” Brooker eagerly inquired. “Tell us the events of that night in their proper sequence.”
“After we had talked for some time, she telling me how happy both she and Liane were, and how the latter had become engaged clandestinely to the Baronet’s son, George, she rode beside me as far as the lodge gates of the Court, where we parted. Then she remounted and rode back in the direction of the spot where she was afterwards discovered, while I strolled slowly on to the station, whence I returned to London. It was dusk before I left Stratfield Mortimer, but as I changed at Reading to enter the train for Paddington, I caught a glimpse of a face I thought I knew. It was only for a single instant, but the face was one that once seen is never forgotten. It was the face of Zertho.”
“You saw me!” he gasped.
“Yes. You were in a crowd on Reading platform, and were about to enter the same train as myself, but changing your mind, suddenly left the station hurriedly,” she said. “At that time, remember, I had no idea that you were in England, for Nelly had not mentioned your visit. Two days later, however, I was appalled by reading in the papers that poor Nelly had been murdered almost immediately after I had left her, and quite close to the spot where we had at first stood. Afterwards in the report of the inquest, I saw that you were present and had given evidence. Then there was silence. The affair was an enigma, and the police possessed no clue. The papers mentioned a broad mark a foot wide upon the dust, which they regarded as mysterious. It was made by my skirt which swept the road. I alone held the key to the enigma. In order to assure myself that my suspicions were not unfounded, I returned to Reading, made careful inquiries there, and when I had satisfied myself, left England with the knowledge I had obtained still in my possession.”
“What did you discover?” inquired George, quickly, while Liane still clung to him tremblingly.
“I discovered absolute proof of the identity of Nolly’s assassin. It was Zertho d’Auzac!”