tting a detective on to you?"

"I found out myself I was being watched."

"How and when?"

She hesitated, and the doubtful look returned to her eyes.

"Come, Louisa!" he said. "No nonsense this time! We've got to have this
out--or my name's Dawkins!"

For the first time she smiled spontaneously, and the doubtful look
almost vanished. Just a trace was left, but her voice, though still very
low, was firmer now.

"I only discovered for the first time the wicked suspicion about poor
Malcolm," she said, "when I met a gentleman a few days ago who told me
he had heard Malcolm was arrested for the murder of Sir Reginald."

"But that's not true!" cried Ned.

"No, and he admitted it was only a story he had heard at the hotel, but
it suddenly seemed to throw light on several things I hadn't been able
to understand. I spoke to Lady Cromarty about it, and then I actually
found that I was suspected too!"

"Did she tell you so?"

"Not in so many words, but I knew what was in her mind. And then the
very next day I caught the same man examining the library with Bisset
and I saw him out of the window follow Lady Cromarty and speak to her,
and then I knew he was a detective!"

"How did you know?"

"Oh, by instinct, and I was right! The position was so horrible--so
unbearable, that I went in to see Mr. Rattar about it."

"Why Rattar?"

"Because he is the family lawyer and he's also investigating the case,
and I thought of course he was employing the detective. And Mr. Rattar
told me you were really employing him. Are you?"

There was a pleading note in this question--a longing to hear the answer
"No" that seemed to affect Ned strangely.

"It's all right, Miss Farmond!" he said. "Don't you worry! I got that
man down here to clear you--just for that purpose and no other!"

"But----" she exclaimed, "Mr. Rattar said you suspected Malcolm and me
and were determined to prove our guilt!"

"Simon Rattar said that!"

There was something so menacing in his voice that Cicely involuntarily
shrank back.

"Do you mean to tell me, honour bright, that Simon Rattar told you that
lie in so many words?"

"Yes," she said, "he did indeed. And he said that this Mr. Carrington
was a very clever man and was almost certain to trump up a very strong
case against us, and so he advised me to go away."

He seemed almost incapable of speech at this.

"He actually advised you to bolt?"

She nodded.

"To slip away quietly to London and s