mournful, he thought of Jill. Jill's sad case was a
continual source of mental anguish to him. From the first he had
blamed himself for the breaking-off of her engagement with Derek. If
he had not sent the message to Derek from the police-station, the
latter would never have known about their arrest, and all would have
been well. And now, a few days ago, had come the news of her financial
disaster, with its attendant complications.

It had descended on Freddie like a thunderbolt through the medium of
Ronny Devereux.

"I say," Ronny had said, "have you heard the latest? Your pal,
Underhill, has broken off his engagement with Jill Mariner."

"I know; rather rotten, what!"

"Rotten? I should say so! It isn't done. I mean to say, chap can't
chuck a girl just because she's lost her money. Simply isn't on the
board, old man!"

"Lost her money? What do you mean?"

Ronny was surprised. Hadn't Freddie heard? Yes, absolute fact. He had
it from the best authority. Didn't know how it had happened and all
that, but Jill Mariner had gone completely bust; Underhill had given
her the miss-in-baulk; and the poor girl had legged it, no one knew
where. Oh, Freddie had met her and she had told him she was going to
America? Well, then, legged it to America. But the point was that the
swine Underhill had handed her the mitten just because she was broke,
and that was what Ronny thought so bally rotten. Broker a girl is,
Ronny meant to say, more a fellow should stick to her.

"But--" Freddie rushed to his hero's defence. "But it wasn't that at
all. Something quite different. I mean, Derek didn't even know Jill
had lost her money. He broke the engagement because...." Freddie
stopped short. He didn't want everybody to know of that rotten arrest
business, as they infallibly would if he confided in Ronny Devereux.
Sort of thing he would never hear the last of. "He broke it off
because of something quite different."

"Oh, yes!" said Ronny sceptically.

"But he did, really!"

Ronny shook his head.

"Don't you believe it, old son. Don't you believe it. Stands to reason
it must have been because the poor girl was broke. You wouldn't have
done it and I wouldn't have done it, but Underhill did, and that's all
there is to it. I mean, a tick's a tick, and there's nothing more to
say. Well, I know he's been a pal of yours, Freddie, but, next time I
meet him, by Jove, I'll cut him dead. Only I don't know him to speak
to, dash it!" concluded R