Anscombe spoke the first.
"I don't know what you mean or to what you refer," he said quietly.

"But at any rate this lady who has promised to marry me is innocent, and therefore if all her ancestors had been murderers it would not in the slightest turn me from my purpose of marrying her." She looked at him, and all the gratitude in the world shone in her frightened eyes.

Marnham stepped, or rather staggered forward, the blue vein throbbing on forehead.
"He lies," he said hoarsely, tugging at his long beard.

"Listen now and I will tell you the truth.

Once, more than a year ago, I was drunk and in a rage.