Page:Yellow Claw 1920.djvu/407

 man’s shoulders—“try to tell me: who killed Mrs. Vernon and why?”

“Mr. King!” came in a rattling voice. “Because of the…carelessness of someone…Mrs. Vernon wandered into the room…of Mrs. Leroux. She seems to have had a fit of remorse…or something like it. She begged Mrs. Leroux to pull up…before…too late. Ho-Pin arrived just as she was crying to…Mrs. Leroux…and asking if she could ever forgive her…for bringing her here.…It was Mrs. Vernon who…introduced Mrs.…Leroux. Ho-Pin heard her…say that she…would tell…Leroux the truth…as the only means”…

“Yes, yes, morbleu! I understand! And then?”

“Ho-Pin knows…women…like a book. He thought Mrs. Vernon would…shirk the scandal. We used to send our women…to Nurse Proctor’s, then…to steady up a bit…We let Mrs. Vernon go…as usual. The scene with…Mrs. Leroux had shaken…her and she fainted…in the car…Victoria Street.…I was with her. Nurse Proctor had…God! I am dying!…a time with her;…she got so hysterical that they had to…detain her…and three days later…her husband died; Proctor, the…fool…somehow left a paper