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Rh Delroy nodded his consent and the little procession passed out into the hall.

Suddenly from the farther end came the swish of skirts and Grace Croydon appeared, radiant as the new day. She paused in astonishment as she saw the group, then she came forward. Her eyes went anxiously from face to face.

“What is it, Richard?” she asked. “What has happened?”

Delroy laughed a mirthless laugh.

“Enough and to spare,” he answered. “They’re arresting Jack, here, for murder.”

“For murder!” she breathed, and caught at the balustrade. “Oh, surely, you’re joking!”

“Jack seems to think it’s a joke,” he retorted bitterly.

“Oh, why did you kill him?” she cried, turning upon her lover. “Why did you not wait”

“Kill him!” echoed Delroy. “But he didn’t, Grace! How can you think such a thing? He could clear himself by telling where he was last night, and he refuses to do it Maybe he’ll tell you.”

She turned her searching eyes to her lover’s face.

“Where were you last night, Jack?” she asked. “You’ll tell me, won’t you?”

“Tell you?” he sneered, his eyes blazing with savage anger. “Where was I? You ask me that?”

And with a gesture of fierce contempt, he went on down the stair.