"She  fainted  later,  didn't  she?"

"Yes,"  Rose  responded  with  emphasis.  "She  fainted
when  she  learned  through  Chief  Burke's  talk  with  you  over
the  'phone  that  he  and  the  Coroner  had  discovered  it  wasn't
suicide  after  all,  but  murder!  Goodness  knows  I  don't
want  to  suspect  anyone  myself  in  such  a  terrible  thing  as
this,  much  less  cast  suspicion  on  them,  but  I  can't  help


A  BRIBE  THAT  FAILED  91

feeling  that  Matilde  knows,  or  thinks  she  knows,  more
about  Mrs.  Hartshorne's  death  than  she'll  ever  tell.  If  she
does,  wild  horses  wouldn't  be  able  to  drag  it  from  her!"

"Miss  Adare,"  Paul  seemed  scarcely  to  have  heard  the
latter  part  of  her  speech.  "You  refuse  to  gossip,  I  know,
but  you  are  in  a  better  position  than  anyone  else  whom  I
have  encountered  on  this  investigation  to  hear  the  com-
ments of  Mrs.  Hartshorne's  friends  upon  her  death  and
the  manner  of  it.  If  I  could  have  an  assistant  on  this  case
I  would  like  to  put  her  in  your  shoes.  I  wonder  if  you
would  be  willing  to  really  help  me  ?"

Rose's  eyes  sparkled.
"I'd  give  anything  to!"  she  cried.  "Mrs.  Hartshorne
was  always  kind  to  me  and  it  is  disgusting  to  see  the  way
all  those  people  who  called  themselves  her  friends  are
tumbling  over  each  other  now  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  a
scandal.  They  couldn't  praise  her  and  flatter  her  enough
when  she  was  writing  checks  for  their  pet  charities,  but  I
haven't  heard  one  good  word  spoken  for  her  now  that  she's
dead.  I  don't  believe  their  remarks  would  help  you,  Mr.
