"
"What do you mean?" asked his sister, restlessly. "Can't the
murderer be found?"
"Not a trace of him can be discovered."
"Why do you say 'him.' It might have been a woman."
"No," rejoined Basil positively, "no woman could have struck
so hard a blow. Aunt Selina was stabbed to the heart. She
must have been killed as she was rising from her chair, and
death, so the doctor says, must have been instantaneous."
"Has the weapon been found?" asked Juliet in a low voice.
Basil turned quickly in his chair, and looked at her sharply.
"No!" he said, "not a sign of any weapon can be found, nor can
it be discovered how anyone got into the house. Though to be
sure, she might have admitted her visitor."
"Explain! explain," cried Mr. Octagon, ruffling his hair.
"Well, to tell the story in detail," said his step-son, "the
way it happened is this. Aunt Selina had Mr. Hale and Mr.
Clancy and Mrs. Herne to their usual game of whist. Clancy,
as it appears from the report of what the new parlor-maid
overheard, quarrelled with Hale and Mrs. Herne. They left
before ten o'clock. At all events, when she entered the room
in answer to my aunt's summons, she found only Mr. Clancy, and
aunt was scolding him for having provoked Mrs. Herne by
contradicting her. Apparently Mrs. Herne had gone away under
the wing of Hale. Then aunt sent Clancy away at ten o'clock.
The parlor-maid returned to the kitchen and there had supper.
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