can't," said Foster, and seeing he must deal with the
matter boldly, asked Featherstone: "Have you any ground for believing I
have not been frank?"

"It is an awkward question. You are our guest and my son sent you to
us. I must add that we had begun to like you for your own sake; but I
have grounds for supposing that you kept something back. To begin
with, Daly, whom you told us you meant to mislead, was here again
yesterday."

"Did you give way to his demands? It's important that I should know."

Featherstone hesitated, and Foster saw where his suspicions led, but
for the next moment or two was absorbed by speculations about Daly's
visit. Then Alice looked at her father with a smile.

"You can tell Mr. Foster. It's obvious that if he was in league with
the fellow he would have no need to ask."

"I did not give way," said Featherstone. "He must have seen that I was
determined, because after the first I thought he did not press me very
hard."

"Ah!" said Foster; "that was curious, but we'll let it go in the
meantime. I suppose there is something else?"

"Since you left, the police have paid me another visit. They asked
some rather strange questions, besides inquiring where you were."

"Which you couldn't tell them!"

"I didn't know," Featherstone rejoined pointedly, and Foster saw that
Alice had said nothing about his recent visit. She gave him an
inquiring glance, as if she wondered why he did not state his reasons
for going to Newcastle, but he looked as unobservant as he could. He
could not signal her, because while this might escape his host's notice
he was afraid of Mrs. Featherstone.

"Well," he said, "it might be better if you, so to speak, formulated
your suspicions and made a definite charge. After all, I'm entitled to
hear it."

"I do so most unwillingly, but feel an explanation is needed. To begin
with, we had one short letter from my son, stating that he could not
come home but you would tell us how he was getting on. This was all;
he said nothing about Daly, or his starting east with you. You arrived
with his portmanteau and what I now think is a rather curious story.
Then, after Daly wrote, you suggested an extraordinary plan, which, as
the fellow came here, has not worked very well. Besides, the police
have made inquiries about you and there's something mysterious about
your journeys. I do not think they were all intended to mislead Daly."

"All this is true," Foster admit