“Oh, don’t say things like that!” broke in the poor woman in a tone of great indignation.  “I have done nothing anyone could call either foolish or wicked.  I am simply very unfortunate, and being sensitive—­But this isn’t telling the story.  I’ll try to make it all clear; but if I do not, and show any confusion, stop me and help me out with questions.  I—­I—­oh, where shall I begin?”

“With your first knowledge of this second will.”

“Thank you, thank you; now I can go on.  One night, shortly after my brother had been given up by the physicians, I was called to his bedside for a confidential talk.  As he had received that day a very large amount of money from the bank, I thought he was going to hand it over to me for Clement, but it was for something much more serious than this he had summoned me.  When he was quite sure that we were alone and nobody anywhere within hearing, he told me that he had changed his mind as to the disposal of his property and that it was to Clement and his children, and not to Carlos, he was going to leave this house and the bulk of his money.  That he had had a new will drawn up which he showed me—­”

“Showed you?”

“Yes; he made me bring it to him from the safe where he kept it; and, feeble as he was, he was so interested in pointing out certain portions of it that he lifted himself in bed and was so strong and animated that I thought he was getting better.  But it was a false strength due to the excitement of the moment, as I saw next day when he suddenly died.”

“You were saying that you brought the will to him from his safe.  Where was the safe?”

“In the wall over his head.  He gave me the key to open it.  This key he took from under his pillow.  I had no trouble in fitting it or in turning the lock.”

“And what happened after you looked at the will?”

“I put it back.  He told me to.  But the key I kept.  He said I was not to part with it again till the time came for me to produce the will.”

“And when was that to be?”

“Immediately after the funeral, if it so happened that Carlos had arrived in time to attend it.  But if for any reason he failed to be here, I was to let it lie till within three days of his return, when I was to take it out in the presence of a Mr. Delahunt who was to have full charge of it from that time.  Oh, I remember all that well enough! and I meant most earnestly to carry out his wishes, but—­”

“Go on, Mrs. Quintard, pray go on.  What happened?  Why couldn’t you do what he asked?”

“Because the will was gone when I went to take it out.  There was nothing to show Mr. Delahunt but the empty shelf.”

“Oh, a theft! just a common theft!  Someone overheard the talk you had with your brother.  But how about the key?  You had that?”

“Yes, I had that.”

“Then it was taken from you and returned?  You must have been careless as to where you kept it—­”