--Crippen," she said.
"He's got her locked up in some cellar.... Horrid little face he has! He
looked like a rat at bay."

"I think perhaps if we'd done _differently_," said Miss Garradice in a
tone of critical irresponsibility.

"I'll write to her. That's what I'll do," said Lady Beach-Mandarin
contemplating her next step. "I'm really--concerned. And didn't you
feel--something sinister. That butler-man's expression--a kind of round
horror."

That very evening she told it all--it was almost the trial trip of the
story--to Mr. Brumley....

Sir Isaac watched their departure furtively from the study window and
then ran out to the garden. He went right through into the pine woods
beyond and presently, far away up the slopes, he saw his wife loitering
down towards him, a gracious white tallness touched by a ray of
sunlight--and without a suspicion of how nearly rescue had come to her.

Sec.7

So you see under what excitement Mr. Brumley came down to Black Strand.

Luck was with him at first and he forced the defence with ridiculous
ease.

"Lady Harman, sir, is not a Tome," said Snagsby.

"Ah!" said Mr. Brumley, with all the assurance of a former proprietor,
"then I'll just have a look round the garden," and was through the green
door in the wall and round the barn end before Snagsby's mind could
function. That unfortunate man went as far as the green door in pursuit
and then with a gesture of despair retreated to the pantry and began
cleaning all his silver to calm his agonized spirit. He could pretend
perhaps that Mr. Brumley had never rung at the front door at all. If
not----

Moreover Mr. Brumley had the good fortune to find Lady Harman quite
unattended and pensive upon the little seat that Euphemia had placed for
the better seeing of her herbaceous borders.

"Lady Harman!" he said rather breathlessly, taking both her hands with
an unwonted assurance and then sitting down beside her, "I am so glad to
see you. I came down to see you--to see if I couldn't be of any service
to you."

"It's so kind of you to come," she said, and her dark eyes said as much
or more. She glanced round and he too glanced round for Sir Isaac.

"You see," he said. "I don't know.... I don't want to be impertinent....
But I feel--if I can be of any service to you.... I feel perhaps you
want help here. I don't want to seem to be taking advantage of a
situation. Or making unwarrantable assumptions. But I want to assure
you--I would