 It discovered later on, however, that Mathew's death had been a cruel response to his overhearing Clarence Rowwel’s, a friend of Hiram Stratton, and Harriett’s chaperone Aunt Ada’s devious plan to seize Harriett’s money through marriage.This plan is unconsciously assisted by Annie Lockwood who distracts Strat from Harriet’s affections resulting in her agreeing to marry the odious Clarence.However justice is served when the mystery is slowly unraveled and ends with Florinda Stratton, the wife of Hiram Stratton, shooting Rowwel in a tower where he led Harriett with the intent of pushing her off of it, and displaying it as a suicide.