legraphed to London for it."

"There is no telegram down there, madam."

At this juncture Mr. Odell-Carney appeared on the scene, uninvited but
welcome.

"Wot's all this?" he demanded sternly. Everybody proceeded at once to
tell him. Somehow he got the drift of the story. "Get out--all of you!"
he said. "I stand sponsor for Mrs. Medcroft. She _is_ Mrs. Medcroft,
hang you, sir. If you come around here bothering her again, I'll have
the law upon you. The Medcrofts are English citizens and--"

"Oh, they are, are they?" sneered Mr. Githens, with a sinister chuckle.

"Who the devil are you, sir?"

"I'm from Scotland Yard."

"I thought so. You've proved it, 'pon my soul. I am Odell-Carney.
Daresay you've heard of me."

"I know you by sight, sir. But that--"

"Clever chap, by Jove! And there's no but about it. Mr.--Mr.--never mind
what it is. I don't want to know your name. Mrs. Medcroft, will you
permit me to send my wife up to you? Mr. Manager, I insist that you take
this c'nfended rabble down to the office and tell them to go to the
devil? Don't do it up here; do it down there."

After some further discussion and protest, the Scotland Yard man and his
party left the room to its distracted mistress. It may be well to
remark, for the sake of local colour, that Tootles was crying lustily,
while Raggles barked in spite of all that O'Brien could do to stop him.

Odell-Carney sent his wife to Edith. A few minutes later, as he was
making his way to the office, he came upon Mrs. Rodney and Katherine,
hurrying, white-faced, to their rooms.

"Oh, isn't it dreadful?" wailed the former, putting her clenched hands
to her temples.

"Isn't wot dreadful?" demanded he brutally.

"About Edith! They're going to arrest her."

"Not if I can help it, madam. Where is Mr. Rodney?"

"He hasn't anything to do with it! We're as innocent as children unborn.
It's all shocking to us. Mr. Rodney shouldn't be arrested. His
rectitude is without a flaw. For heaven's sake, don't implicate him.
He's--"

"Madam, I am not a policeman," said Odell-Carney with scathing dignity.
"I want your husband to aid me in hushing this c'nfended thing."

"He shan't do it! I won't permit him to be mixed up in it," almost
screamed Mrs. Rodney. "I've just heard that he isn't a husband at all.
It's atrocious!"

"Bless me, Mrs. Rodney," roared Odell-Carney, "then you oughtn't to be
living with him if he isn't your husband. You're as bad as-- Hi, look
out,