She told them in as few words as possible the story of how she had always disliked and mistrusted the man whom so unfortunately her mother had married, and how gradually her suspicions strengthened till she became certain that he was involved in many unlawful deeds.

But always her inner certainty had fallen short of absolute proof, so careful had he been in all he did.

“I knew I knew,” she said.  “But there was nothing I really knew.  And he made me do all sorts of things for him.  I wouldn’t have cared for myself, but if I tried to refuse he made mother suffer.  She was very, very frightened of him, but she would never leave him.  She didn’t dare.  There was one night he made me go very late with a packing-case full of silver things he had, and he wouldn’t tell me where he had got them.  I believe he stole them all, but I helped him pack them, and I took them away the night Mr. Dunsmore came and gave them to a man wearing a mask.  My stepfather said it was just a secret family matter he was helping some friends in, and later on I saw the same man in the woods near here one day—­the day Mr. Clive was killed by the poachers—­and when he came another time to the house I thought I must try to find out what he wanted.  I listened while they talked and they said such strange things I made up my mind to try to warn Mr. Dunsmore, for I was sure there was something they were plotting.”

“There was indeed,” said Rupert grimly.  “And but for that warning you sent me they would have succeeded.”

“Somehow they found out what I had done,” Ella continued.  “As soon as I got back he kept looking at me so strangely.  I was afraid—­I had been afraid a long time, for that matter—­but I tried not to show it.  In the afternoon he told me to go up to the attic.  He said he wanted me to help him pack some silver.  It was the same silver I had packed before; for some reason he had got it back again.  This time I had to pack it in the little boxes, and after I had finished I waited up there till suddenly he ran in very quickly and looking very excited.  He said I had betrayed them, and should suffer for it, and he took some rope and he tied me as tightly as he could, and tied a great handkerchief over my mouth, and pushed me inside the wardrobe and locked it.  I think he would have killed me then only he was afraid of Mr. Dunsmore, and very anxious to know what had happened, and why Mr. Dunsmore had come home, and if there was any danger.  And I was a long time there, and I heard a great noise, and then Mr. Dunsmore opened the door and took me out.”

CHAPTER XXXI

CONCLUSION

Three months had passed, and in a quiet little cottage on the outskirts of a small country town, situated in one of the most beautiful and peaceful vales of the south-west country, Ella was slowly recovering from the shock of the dreadful experiences through which she had passed.