mity of Mr. Dawkins remained undisturbed.

"Sit right down, Louisa!" he commanded when dinner was served; and then,
addressing the maid, "You needn't wait. We'll ring when we need you."

But the moment she had gone he checked a strong expression with an
effort.

"Damn--confound it!" he cried. "I ought to have remembered to say grace!
That would have given just the finishing touch to the Uncle Ned
business. However, I don't think they've smelt any rats."

Cicely smiled faintly and then her eyes fell and she answered nothing.
Their only other conversation during dinner consisted in his
expostulations on her small appetite and her low-voiced protests that
she wasn't hungry. But when it was safely over, he pushed back his
chair, crossed his knees, and began:

"Now, Louisa, I'm going to take an uncle's privilege of lighting my pipe
before I begin to talk, if you don't mind."

He lit his pipe, and then suddenly dropping the role of uncle
altogether, said gently:

"I don't want to press you with any questions that you don't want to
answer, but if you need a friend of any sort, size, or description, here
I am." He paused for a moment and then asked still more gently: "Are you
afraid of me?"

For the first time she let her long-lashed eyes rest full on his face
and in her low voice, she answered:

"Partly afraid."

"And partly what else?"

"Partly puzzled--and partly ashamed."

"Ashamed!" he exclaimed with a note of indignant protest. "Ashamed of
what?"

"The exhibition I've made of myself," she said, her voice still very
low.

"Well," he smiled, "that's a matter of opinion. But why are you afraid?"

"Oh," she exclaimed. "You know of course!"

He stared at her blankly.

"I pass; I can't play to that!" he replied. "I honestly do not know,
Miss Farmond."

Her eyes opened very wide.

"That's what I meant when I said I was puzzled. You _must_ know--and
yet----!"

She broke off and looked at him doubtfully.

"Look here," said he, "some one's got to solve this mystery, and I'll
risk a leading question. Why did you run away?"

"Because of what you have been doing!"

"_Me_ been doing! And what have I been doing?"

"Suspecting me and setting a detective to watch me!"

Ned's one eye opened wide, but for a moment he said not a word. Then he
remarked quietly:

"This is going to be a derned complicated business. Just you begin at
the beginning, please, and let's see how things stand. Who told you I
was se