At any rate she gave herself away by the blackmail, and I expect she grew frightened.

If the house had been searched--and it might have been searched by the police, had I arrested her for blackmail the emerald would have been found and she would have been incriminated.

She therefore got rid of it cleverly, by passing it along to me as a wedding gift.

Then she again grew afraid and wrote out this confession to exonerate herself." "But it doesn't," insisted Hope.

"She makes herself out plainly as an accessory after the fact." "A woman doesn't understand these legal niceties.