"Ruth's husband--Sir William I will call him--stood side by side with
Lumley before the window. What they saw I cannot tell you. They
entered the room. The true story of what happened there I doubt if
anyone will ever know. The evidence of servants spoke of raised voices
and the sound of a heavy fall. When they were summoned, Sir William
lay on the floor unconscious. Lady Ruth had fainted; Lumley and
Wingrave were both bending over the former. On the floor were
fragments of paper, which were afterwards put together, and found to
be the remains of a check for a large amount, payable to Lady Ruth,
and signed by Wingrave.
"The sequel is very soon told. Sir William died in a few days, and
Wingrave, on the evidence of Lumley and Ruth, was committed for
manslaughter, and sent to prison for fifteen years!"
Lovell paused. A murmur went round the little group of listeners. The
story, after all, except for Lovell's manner of telling it, was an
ordinary one. Everyone felt that there was something else behind.
So they asked no questions whilst Lovell drank his whisky and soda,
and refilled his pipe. Again his eyes seemed to wander to the
calendar.
"According to Lady Ruth's evidence," he said thoughtfully, "her
husband entered the room at the exact moment when she was rejecting
Wingrave's advances, and indignantly refusing a check which he was
endeavoring to persuade her to accept. A struggle followed between the
two men, with fatal results for Sir William.
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