"

"The mysterious woman, I suppose," said Grey, with very little show of
interest in the matter.

"But I never believed that there was any mysterious woman, I thought the
papers invented her," said Olivia.

"So did I," said Grey. "But it's beginning to look to me as if there
might have been one."

"I wonder who she can be?" said Olivia.

"A barmaid, I should think," said Grey, in a tone which placed definitely
the late Lord Loudwater as a lover.

"You certainly do dislike Egbert," said Olivia, in a dispassionate tone
of one stating a natural fact of little importance.

"I do," said Grey.

"It's odd how little I remember him," said Olivia thoughtfully. "But then
I was always trying to forget him unless he was actually in the room with
me. And then I was always trying not to see him."

"I remember the way he treated you," said Grey sternly.

Olivia smiled at him.

"I hope to goodness the police never do find that wretched woman!" he
said.

Olivia frowned thoughtfully. Then she smiled again.

"I don't think it would be much use if they did," she said. "I told Mr.
Flexen that I heard Egbert snoring about twelve o'clock. I didn't; but I
thought that as you went away about half-past eleven, it would make it
safer for you. I could always stick to it, if we thought it right."

"And I told Flexen that I didn't hear him snoring at about half-past
eleven, and I did. I thought it would make it safer for you."

"Well, we are--" said Olivia, and she laughed.

Then of a sudden her eyes sparkled and she cried: "But if you heard him
snore at half-past eleven that lets the mysterious woman out. She went
away at a quarter-past."

"By Jove! so it does," said Grey.

Three days later, driving back in the evening from Rickmansworth to Low
Wycombe, Mr. Flexen passed Grey on his way home from an afternoon's
fishing. He stopped the car, and as Grey came up to it he perceived that
he was looking uncommonly well, though his limp appeared to be as bad as
ever. He was not only looking well, he was also looking happy, wholly
free from care.

They greeted one another and Mr. Flexen said: "By Jove! you are
looking fit!"

"Yes, I'm all right again," said Grey. Then he frowned and added: "But
the nuisance of it is that I shall always have this confounded limp."

"You get off more lightly than a good many men I know," said
Flexen sadly.

"Yes. I'm not grousing much," said Grey.

There came a pause, and then Grey said: "I've