What is it?"

With his hand on the lock of the door, Midwinter turned, and looked
back into the room. The moment had come. His haunting fear of doing his
friend an injustice had shown itself in a restraint of word, look, and
action which had been marked enough to force its way to Allan's notice.
The one course left now, in the dearest interests of the friendship that
united them, was to speak at once, and to speak boldly.

"There's something strange between us," reiterated Allan. "For God's
sake, what is it?"

Midwinter took his hand from the door, and came down again to the
window, fronting Allan. He occupied the place, of necessity, which Allan
had just left. It was the side of the window on which the Statuette
stood. The little figure, placed on its projecting bracket, was, close
behind him on his right hand. No signs of change appeared in the stormy
sky. The rain still swept slanting across the garden, and pattered
heavily against the glass.

"Give me your hand, Allan."

Allan gave it, and Midwinter held it firmly while he spoke.

"There is something strange between us," he said. "There is something
to be set right which touches you nearly; and it has not been set right
yet. You asked me just now where I met with Miss Gwilt. I met with her
on my way back here, upon the high-road on the further side of the
town. She entreated me to protect her from a man who was following and
frightening her. I saw the scoundrel with my own eyes, and I should have
laid hands on him, if Miss Gwilt herself had not stopped me. She gave
a very strange reason for stopping me. She said I didn't know who his
employer was."

Allan's ruddy color suddenly deepened; he looked aside quickly through
the window at the pouring rain. At the same moment their hands fell
apart, and there was a pause of silence on either side. Midwinter was
the first to speak again.

"Later in the evening," he went on, "Miss Gwilt explained herself. She
told me two things. She declared that the man whom I had seen following
her was a hired spy. I was surprised, but I could not dispute it. She
told me next, Allan--what I believe with my whole heart and soul to be
a falsehood which has been imposed on her as the truth--she told me that
the spy was in your employment!"

Allan turned instantly from the window, and looked Midwinter full in the
face again. "I must explain myself this time," he said, resolutely.

The ashy paleness peculiar to him in moments of st