zie, and there's more sense in your little finger
than in all my fat head. I'm feeling a different man, and I'll baulk
them yet."

"Of course you will, Jim," said Elizabeth, and she opened the door.

"Lord, how I wish I was coming in with you--back in my old place! I
should be seeing you most of the time," he said wistfully.

Elizabeth stopped short, flushing, and looked at him with suddenly
excited eyes.

At his words a great thought had come into her mind.

"Wait a minute, Jim. Wait till I come back," she said somewhat
breathlessly, and, leaving the door open, she hurried down the passage.

She hurried up to her room, took off her hat, and hurried to Olivia. She
found her in her sitting-room looking through an evening paper to learn
if any new fact about the murder had come to light.

"If you please, your ladyship, James Hutchings has come to ask if your
ladyship would like him to come back for the time being till you've got
suited with another butler," said Elizabeth in a rather breathless voice.

Olivia looked at Elizabeth's flushed, excited and hopeful face,
and smiled.

"Why, have you and James made it up, Elizabeth?" she said.

"Yes, m'lady," said Elizabeth, and the flush deepened in her cheeks.

"Then go and tell him to come back, by all means," said Olivia.

"Thank you, m'lady," said Elizabeth, in accents of profound gratitude,
and she ran out of the room.

Olivia smiled and then she sighed. It was pleasant to have given
Elizabeth such obviously keen pleasure. She never dreamed that Elizabeth
and James Hutchings were under the same strain of fear and anxiety as
she herself, and that she had given them great help in their trouble, for
Elizabeth saw that the return of James Hutchings to his situation would
give the wagging tongues full pause.

James Hutchings was dumbfounded on receiving the message. He stared at
Elizabeth with his mouth open.

"Be quick, Jim. Get your clothes and be back in time to wait on her
ladyship at dinner," said Elizabeth.

James Hutchings came out of his stupor.

"Why, L-L-Lizzie, you must let me p-p-put up our b-b-banns tomorrow," he
stammered.

"Be off!" said Elizabeth, stamping her foot. "We can talk about
that later."

When she came from her bath Olivia sent Elizabeth to tell Holloway that
she would dine with Mr. Flexen and Mr. Manley that evening. She had a
sudden desire to see more of Mr. Flexen, to weigh him as an antagonist.

Mr. Flexen was somewhat surpr