"So I thought at first." Her blue eyes narrowed. "But in some marvellous manner they brought the charge home to me. I was the only one, they said, who knew the story. I had wormed it out of the silly woman, they alleged, and had then, owing to the subsequent coolness between us, traded upon my knowledge in order to drive her out of the place."
"But others must have known the story?"
"Yes. But I was the only one in Littlefield who knew it."
"So they said. But in reality----"
"In reality, of course, it was known to someone else. But that person took care to keep in the background. When once I had been suggested as the culprit a quantity of evidence was forthcoming to clinch the matter, so to speak. I was never particularly popular here, and people were quite ready to believe me capable of the deed." She smiled faintly. "I confess one or two things looked black for me--the letters were written on the kind of paper I used, and though of course the handwriting was disguised, there was, in one or two letters, an undeniable similarity to some of my writing."
"But your word--wasn't that sufficient?"
The apathy of her manner relaxed for one moment into a kind of cold amusement.
"Oh, I gave my word--at first--quite freely. Knowing nothing of the letters, of course I said so; but I was not believed. I confess everything was against me. Most of the letters were posted in the pillar box not a hundred yards from this house--but on one occasion when I had gone down to Brighton for a couple of days, one of those vile things bore the Brighton postmark."
"But----"
"Oh, I've nearly done." She glanced at the clock. "I am detaining you--you're in a hurry? Don't mind saying so--this delightful story can be continued in our next."
"Please go on." Anstice would not willingly have foregone the rest of the recital.
"Well, after various suspicious happenings, which I won't inflict upon you now, and after being interviewed by the Bishop, by detectives, by a hundred and one individuals who revelled in the case, I was accused, tried, and found guilty."
"Found guilty? Impossible!" He sprang up, quite unable to sit still another moment. Somehow he had not expected this climax.
"Yes. I was found guilty." Her voice held little expression. "And sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. The judge who sentenced me informed me--and the world at large--that he deemed it expedient to 'make an example' of me--only he put it more legally--as an educated young woman, of apparent refinement, who had committed a crime connected generally with illiterate and ignorant persons of degenerate tendencies."