"I thought she might have had something to do with the crime," said Joyce sullenly, "you must confess it was queer to see a girl in the woods at that hour. If she was innocent why should she have been about the house so late?"
"Don't you dare to hint that she is not innocent," cried Herrick violently. "She went to look for her brother Sidney. She heard the shots too. Did you see Frisco at the door of the house?"
"No! It was some time after I lost sight of Miss Bess that I heard the shots, I thought she might have fired them. I waited till ten o'clock, and then thought I would go and see what was the matter. I walked through the wood, and entered the house. It was all alight and quite deserted, just as we found it. As I had heard the shots in the tower I climbed up. At the top I saw what you and I saw--the dead body of the Colonel. He was quite dead. I was afraid, for the very thing I dreaded had come to pass. I saw how wise was my mother's advice, and being afraid lest someone should come and I should be arrested for the crime I went away. I got my bicycle which I had left in the Pine wood and rode back to Heathcroft. I found the last train gone, so I could not get back to the Hull Hotel. I feared to sleep in any inn lest the police, when the crime was discovered, should make search for strangers. I passed the night in a wood, then rode on at dawn to a station beyond Heathcroft, where I got a cup of coffee at the bar of the station. Then I took the train back to London, went to the Hull Hotel, and said that I had passed the night with a friend. Afterwards I caught the Southberry train and rejoined you. That is all."
"A very pretty story!" remarked Herrick grimly, "then you were anxious to push on across the moor that we might find the body together?"
"Not exactly; I thought it would be already found when we arrived. However when I saw the house blazing I knew that nothing had been disturbed. We went in and--you know----"
"I know that you took a fit of hysteria," said Herrick. "I thought it was fatigue, but now I understand it was because you were playing a part. This is all very well, how do I know you did not kill the man?"
"I did not; I swear I did not," cried Joyce with a shiver.