ng silent; he will explain them when he comes."

"No doubt," said the lawyer, gravely; but he chuckled a little to
himself over the account which Mr. Brett had given him that morning of
Mr. Heron's disappointment. (Mr. Brett had thrown up the case, he told
his friend Colquhoun; would have nothing more to do with it at any
price. "I think the case has thrown you up," said Mr. Colquhoun,
laughing slyly.)

He had taken up some papers which he had brought with him and was
turning towards the door when a new thought caused him to stop, and
address Elizabeth once more.

"Miss Murray," he said, "I do not wish to make a remark that would be
unpleasant to you, but when I remember that Mr. Heron was in possession
of the facts that I have just imparted to you, nearly a week ago, I do
think, like yourself, that his conduct calls for an explanation."

"I did not say that I thought so, Mr. Colquhoun," said Elizabeth,
feeling provoked. But Mr. Colquhoun was gone.

Nevertheless, she agreed with him so far that she sent off a telegram to
Percival that afternoon. "Come to me at once, if possible. I want you."

When Percival received the message, which he did on his return from his
club about eleven o'clock at night, he eyed the thin, pink paper on
which it was written as if it had been a reptile of some poisonous kind.
"I expected it," he said to himself, and all the gaiety went out of his
face. "She has found something out."

It was too late to do anything that night. He felt resentfully conscious
that he should not sleep if he went to bed; so he employed the midnight
hours in completing some items of work which ought to be done on the
following day. Before it was light he had packed a hand-bag, and
departed to catch the early train. He sent a telegram from Peterborough
to say that he was on the way.

Of course, it was late when he reached Strathleckie, and he assured
himself with some complacency that Elizabeth would expect no
conversation with him until next morning. But he was a little mistaken.
In her quality of mistress, she had chosen to send everyone else to bed:
the household was so well accustomed to Percival's erratic comings and
goings, that nobody attached any importance to his visits; and even old
Mr. Heron appeared only for a few minutes to gossip with his son while
he ate a comfortable supper, retiring at last, with a nod to his niece
which Percival easily understood. It meant--"I will do now what you told
me you