"I always intended to tell you, Emily," she began quietly, "and I will
tell you now."

"What, dear?" said Emily, holding out to her a plate of tiny buttered
scones. "Have some of these nice, little hot ones."

"Thank you." Hester took one of the nice, little hot ones, but did not
begin to eat it. Instead, she held it untouched and let her eyes rest on
the brilliant flower terraces spread out below. "What I meant to tell
you was this. The gun was not loaded, the gun Alec shot himself with,
when he laid it aside."

Emily put down her tea-cup hastily.

"I saw him take out the charge myself two hours before. When he came in,
mad with drink, and made me go into the room with him, Ameerah saw him.
She always listened outside. Before we left The Kennel Farm, the day he
tortured and taunted me until I lost my head and shrieked out to him
that I had told you what I knew, and had helped you to go away, he
struck me again and again. Ameerah heard that. He did it several times
afterwards, and she always knew. She always intended to end it in some
way. She knew how drunk he was that last day, and--It was she who went
in and loaded the gun while he was having his scene with me. She knew he
would go and begin to pull the things about without having the sense to
know what he was doing. She had seen him do it before. I know it was she
who put the load in. We have never uttered a word to each other about
it, but I know she did it, and that she knows I know. Before I married
Alec, I did not understand how one human being could kill another. He
taught me to understand, quite. But I had not the courage to do it
myself. Ameerah had."