scandalous and ruinous revelations. Did Redgrave know that he had a
high-class criminal in his employment? Possibly he knew it well enough.
There was no end to the appalling suggestiveness of this discovery.
Hugh remembered what he had said in talk with Harvey Rolfe about the
rottenness of society. Never had he felt himself so much a coward as in
face of this woman, whose shameless smile covered secrets and infamies
innumerable.

The cabman was bidden drive on to Wimbledon, and, with long pauses, the
dialogue continued for an hour. Hugh interrogated and cross-examined
his companion on every matter of which she could be induced to speak,
yet he learned very little in detail concerning either her own life or
Redgrave's; Mrs. Maskell was not to be driven to any disclosure beyond
what was essential to her own purpose. By dint of skilful effrontery
she had gained the upper hand, and no longer felt the least fear of him.

'If I believed you,' said Carnaby, at a certain point of their
conversation, 'I should have you arrested straight away. It wouldn't
matter to me how the thing came out; it would be public property before
long.'

'Where would you find your witnesses?' she asked. 'Leave me alone, and
I can be of use to you as no one else can. Behave shabbily, and you
only make yourself look foolish, bringing a charge against your wife
that you'll never be able to prove. You would get no evidence from me.
Whether you want it kept quiet or want to bring it into court, you
depend upon my goodwill.'

They reached the end of the road in which was the approach to
Redgrave's house.

'You had better wait here,' said the woman. 'I shall be ten minutes or
a quarter of an hour. You needn't feel uneasy; I haven't the least
intention of running away. Our interests are mutual, and if you do your
part you can trust me to do mine.'

She stopped the cab, alighted, told the driver to wait, and walked
quickly down the by-road. Hugh, drawn back into a corner, sat with head
drooping; for a quarter of an hour he hardly stirred. Twenty minutes,
thirty minutes, passed, but Mrs. Maskell did not show herself. At
length, finding it impossible to sit still any longer, he sprang out,
and paced backwards and forwards. Vastly to his relief, the woman at
length appeared.

'He is there,' she said. 'I couldn't get away before.'

'Is he alone?'

'Yes. Don't do anything foolish.' Carnaby had looked as if he would
move towards the house. 'The slighte