yesterday morning I
remarked that it was slightly discourteous. Your brother left here on
excellent terms with us all. You can interview, if you will, any member
of the household. You can make your inquiries at the station from which
he departed. Your appearance here at such an untimely hour, and your
barely veiled accusations, remind me of the fable of the bull in the
china shop. If you think that we have locked your brother up here, pray
search the house. If you think," she added, with curling lip, "that we
have murdered him, pray bring down an army of detectives, invest the
place, and pursue your investigations in whatever direction you like.
But before you leave, I should advise you, if you wish to preserve your
reputation as a person of breeding, to apologize to Mr. De la Borne for
your extraordinary behaviour here to-night, and the extraordinary
things at which you have hinted."

The Duke smiled pleasantly.

"Madam," he said, "I came here to-night not knowing that you were
amongst the difficulties which I should have to deal with. I wish to
speak to Mr. De la Borne. You will permit me?"

The Princess shrugged her shoulders and turned away.

"I have ventured to speak for both of them," she remarked, "for the
sake of peace, because I am a woman and can keep my temper, and they
are men who might have resented your impertinence."

The Duke remained as though he had not heard her speech. He laid his
hand upon Cecil's shoulder.

"De la Borne," he said, "you and I are scarcely strangers, although we
have never met. There have been friendships in our families for many
years. Don't be afraid to speak out if anything has gone a little wrong
here and you are ashamed of it. I want to be your friend, as you know
very well. Tell me, now. Can't you help me to find Ronald. Haven't you
any idea where he is?"

"None at all," Cecil answered.

"Tell me this, then," the Duke said, his clear brown eyes fixed
steadily upon Cecil's miserable white face. "Were there any unusual
circumstances at all connected with his leaving here?"

"None whatever," Cecil answered, with an uneasy little laugh, "except
that I had to get up to see him off, and it was a beastly cold morning."

The lawyer, who had been standing silent all this time, drew the Duke
for a moment on one side.

"I should recommend, sir," he whispered, "that we went away. If they
know anything they do not mean to tell, and the less we let them know
as to whether we ar