take a solitary walk. It seemed incredible now
to think that he had brought Lily down here, that he had wandered with
her over this field. What an infringement it must have seemed to Stella
and Alan of their already immemorial peace. They had really been very
good about his invasion. And here was the wood where he and Stella had
fought. Michael sat down in the glade and listened to the busy
flutterings of the birds. Why had Stella objected to his marriage with
Lily? All the superficial answers were ready at once; but was not her
real objection only another facet of the diamond of selfishness?
Selfishness was a diamond. Precious, hard, and very often
beautiful--when seen by itself.

Michael spent a week at Hardingham, during which he managed to put out
of his mind the thought of Barnes in prison awaiting his trial. Then one
day the butler informed him of a person wishing to speak to him. In the
library he found the detective who had asked for his address at Leppard
Street.

"Sorry to have to trouble you, sir, but there was one or two little
questions we wanted to ask."

Michael feared he would have to appear at the trial, and asked at once
if that was going to be necessary.

"Oh, no, I don't think so. We've got it all marked out fair and square
against Mr. Meats. He doesn't stand a chance of getting off. How did you
come to be mixed up with him?"

Michael explained the circumstances which had led up to his knowing
Meats.

"I see; and you just wanted to give him a bit of a helping hand. Oh,
well, the feeling does you credit, I'm bound to say; but another time,
sir, I should make a few inquiries first. We should probably have had
him before, if he hadn't been helped by you. Of course, I quite
understand you knew nothing about this murder, but anyone can often do a
lot of harm by helping undeserving people. We mightn't have nabbed him
even now, if some woman hadn't brought us a nice little bit of evidence,
and I found some more things myself after a search. Oh, yes, he doesn't
stand an earthly. We knew for a moral cert who did it, straightaway; but
the police don't get a fair chance in England. We let all these blooming
Radicals interfere too much. That's my opinion. Anyone would think the
police was a lot of criminals by the way some people talk about them."

"Is anybody defending him?" Michael asked.

"Oh, he'll be awarded a counsel," said the detective indignantly. "For
which you and me has to pay. That's a ni