d stood silent.

"You are not going to deny it?" Mordaunt observed, glancing at him.

He turned his face away. "What's the good?"

"Just so. You had better tell me the whole truth. It will save trouble."

"But I don't see that there is anything more to tell." Rupert spoke
with an effort. "I stole the cheque in the first place--that Sunday
afternoon--you remember? I was a bit top-heavy at the time. That's no
excuse," he threw in. "I daresay I should have done it in any case.
But--well, you know the state of mind I was in that day. You had just
been beastly generous, too. And that reminds me; you left your keys
behind, do you remember? I came in for another drink and saw them. The
temptation came then, and I never stopped to think till the thing was
done. Bertrand nearly caught me in the act. He didn't suspect anything at
the time, but he may have remembered afterwards."

"Probably," said Mordaunt. "You weren't frank with me that day, then?
There were debts you didn't mention."

Rupert nodded. "You were a bit high-handed with me. That choked me off.
Still, though in an evil moment I took the cheque out of your book, I
loathed myself for it afterwards. I hadn't the strength of mind to
destroy it, or the courage to send it back. But"--he turned back again
and met Mordaunt's eyes--"I wasn't going to use it, though I was cur
enough to keep it, and to like to feel it was there in case of emergency.
I didn't mean to use it--on my oath, I didn't. I don't expect you to
believe me, but it's true."

"I believe you," Mordaunt said quietly. "And--the emergency arose?"

Rupert nodded again. "Chris came to me--in great distress. Couldn't tell
me what she wanted it for. You weren't to know, neither was Bertrand. She
couldn't use her own without your finding out. And so--as it seemed
urgent--in fact, desperate--and as it was for her--" He broke off. "No, I
won't shelter myself in that way. I did it on my own. She didn't know. No
one knew. If Bertrand suspected, he must have thought I took it for my
own purposes. Heaven knows what she wanted it for, but she was most
emphatic that it shouldn't get round to him."

"And you tell me she did not know how you obtained the money? Are you
certain of that?" Mordaunt's tone was deliberate; he spoke as one who
meant to have the truth.

"Why, man, of course I am! What do you take her for? Chris--my
sister--your wife--"

"Stop!" The word was brief, and very final. "We need not go into that