p to him. Why, hang it all! Any man with
the soul of a mouse who really believed that I had been making love to
his wife, couldn't have taken the things I told him without going for me
at any risk. And as I'm still rather crocked up, and he knew it, there
must have seemed precious little risk about it. I tell you that he was
just a blustering ruffian."

Mr. Flexen had a strong impression that Colonel Grey was unused to being
as expansive as this, that he was talking for talking's sake, possibly
to put him off asking some question which would be difficult or
dangerous to answer. He could not for the life of him think what that
question could be.

"I daresay you're right," he said carelessly. "Bullies aren't over-fond
of a real scrap. But I am told that you paid a visit to the Castle last
night and came away about a quarter past eleven. Did you?"

Colonel Grey showed no faintest disquiet on hearing that his visit to
Olivia the night before was known. But he did not give Mr. Flexen time to
finish the sentence.

He interrupted him, saying quickly: "Yes. I went to see Lady Loudwater. I
thought it likely that she would attach a good deal more importance to
Loudwater's silly threats than they deserved and might be worrying. It
would have been quite natural. I wanted to talk it over with her and set
her mind at rest about it. It didn't take very long to do that, partly
because it was a long time since he had really frightened her. She had
got used to his tantrums and bullying; and even this new game had not
disturbed her very much. We both came to the conclusion that he was just
blustering again, and wouldn't do anything. As a matter of fact, I don't
think she cared very much what he did. She had got so fed up with him
that she didn't care whether they separated or not."

Mr. Flexen felt more sure than ever that this garrulity was unusual in
Colonel Grey. He was talking with a purpose, apparently to induce him to
believe that both he and Lady Loudwater had taken her husband's threat of
divorce proceedings lightly. He began to think that they had not taken it
lightly at all, or, at any rate, one or other of them had not.

"Yes," he said. "That's what always happens with those blustering'
fellows. In the end no one takes them seriously. But what I came to ask
you was: Did you, as you came through the library or went out through it,
hear Lord Loudwater snore?"

Colonel Grey hesitated, just as Lady Loudwater had hesitated ov