"I congratulate you, young lady," he said heartily. "Through your cleverness and tact we have found out the truth. You are a heroine, Miss Carew."
"Not Miss Carew," interposed Allen brightly, "but Miss Dargill."
"I beg your pardon," said Mr. Carver in a stiff manner. "I am aware that Mr. Edermont's real name was Dargill, as you have no doubt learnt from the manuscript. But this young lady----"
"Is the daughter of your late client," interrupted Dora. "Captain Carew was not my father, Mr. Carver. I am the child of Julian Edermont--or rather, Dargill."
"In that case I congratulate you again, Miss Dora," said Carver, compromising the matter by calling her by her Christian name; "you can now marry Dr. Scott, since your father did not kill his father."
"Do you know that story?" asked Allen with a start.
"Oh dear, yes! I was told it by my late client. But he did not inform me that this young lady was his daughter. I was always under the impression that she was the child of Captain Carew, and the ward of the late Mr. Dargill. Strange he should have kept that from me," mused the lawyer; "but I never yet knew a client to tell the whole truth."
"But this is all very well," broke in Dora. "What has Joad done--fled to London?"
"No. He has been with me for the last two hours; and by this time"--Mr. Carver glanced at his watch--"he is no doubt back in his cottage."
"Back in his cottage?" echoed the doctor. "Did he not make a confession?"
"Certainly. It was written out and signed in my presence, with two witnesses--myself and one of my clerks--to testify to the signature."
"Oh dear me, no!" said Carver dryly; "he does nothing of the sort; but he confesses as to who committed the murder."
"No, Miss Dora, he did not. Our friend Joad is innocent; although," added the lawyer with an afterthought, "he may be described as an accessory after the fact."
"Then who killed my father?" cried Dora in blank amazement.
"Aha! that is a long, long story," replied Carver with a nod. "All in good time, my dear young lady. You tell me briefly what is contained in the manuscript, and I shall supply the sequel. Thus," added Mr. Carver, rubbing his dry hands, "we shall arrive at a clear and logical understanding of the whole complicated matter."