f on which the books are;
there is a gap at the back. I suppose that is how the will fell down.'

His eye was now steadily fixed upon her, coldly scrutinising, as one
regards a suspected stranger. Adela was made wretched by the inevitable
falsehood. She felt herself reddening under his gaze.

He seemed to fall into absent-mindedness, then re-read the document.
Then he took out his watch.

'The people are out of church. Come and show me where it was.'

With a deep sense of relief she went away to put on her bonnet. To
escape for a moment was what she needed, and the self-command of his
voice seemed to assure her against her worst fears. She felt grateful
to him for preserving his dignity. The future lost one of its terrors if
only she could respect him.

They walked side by side to the church in silence: Mutimer had put the
will into his pocket. At the wicket he paused.

'Will Wyvern be in there?'

The question was answered by the appearance of the vicar himself, who
just then came forth from the front doorway. He approached them, with a
hope that Adela had not been obliged to leave through indisposition.

'A little faintness,' Mutimer was quick to reply. 'We are going to look
for something she dropped in the pew.'

Mr. Wyvern passed on. Only the pew-opener was moving about the aisles.
She looked with surprise at the pair as they entered.

'Tell her the same,' Mutimer commanded, under his breath.

The old woman was of course ready with offers of assistance, but a word
from Richard sufficed to keep her away.

The examination was quickly made, and they returned as they had come,
without exchanging a word on the way. They went upstairs again to the
boudoir.

'Sit down,' Mutimer said briefly.

He himself continued to stand, again examining the will.

'I should think,' he began slowly, 'it's as likely as not that this is a
forgery.'

'A forgery? But who could have--'

Her voice failed.

'He's not likely to have run the risk himself, I suppose,' Mutimer
pursued, with a quiet sneer, 'but no doubt there are people who would
benefit by it.'

Adela had an impulse of indignation. It showed intself in her cold,
steady reply.

'The will was thick with dust. It has been lying there a long time.'

'Of course. They wouldn't bungle over an important thing like this.'

He was once more scrutinising her. The suspicion was a genuine one, and
involved even more than Adela could imagine. If there had been a plot,