t she'd neither act nor part--"

"I know that; but the judge thinks she had, and he's-- You'd hardly
believe it, Doyle, but he's had the unparalleled insolence to go and
quarter himself on her in Ballymoy House."

"It's what I said he'd do," said Doyle, "and I'm not surprised."

"If you understood the peculiar and delicate relations which exist
between that judge and Miss King--but of course you don't, and I,
unfortunately, can't explain them to you. If you did, you'd see at
once that the judge must simply have forced himself on Miss King,
using, I have no doubt, the most unchivalrous and despicable threats to
achieve his end. Considering that he's getting his board and lodging
out of her he might very well be prosecuted for blackmail. Just
conceive to yourself, Doyle-- But I can't talk about it. Where's the
bicycle?"

"You took it out with you to Portsmouth Lodge last night," said Doyle,
"and so far as I know you didn't bring it back again. But there's an
old one in the stable belonging to Patsy Flaherty, and you can take
that if you like."

"It can't be worse than yours," said Meldon, "with that loose pedal.
Just you wheel it round to the door for me, and pump up the tyres if
they want it. There's something I forgot to ask Sabina. I'll go
through the kitchen, and meet you by the time you have the machine
ready."

He darted into the kitchen, leaving Doyle to tie up his pony and pump
the bicycle.

"Is that you back?" said Sabina. "I thought you were gone. Didn't you
tell me there was a hurry on you?"

"I'm just going," said Meldon; "but before I start I want to ask you
how you managed the boiled egg. I suppose the judge had a boiled egg
for breakfast. Did you put paraffin into it?"

"I did."

"How? I'm most anxious to know how it was done."

"It's what the gentleman asked me himself," said Sabina, "and I told
him the truth."

"Then tell it to me."

"I'm not sure will I. The gentleman was terrible upset when he heard
it, worse than you'd think; for he had the egg ate."

"There can't have been much paraffin in it, then."

"There was not; but there was some."

"And how did you get it there?"

"It was with a hairpin I did it."

"Do you mean to say that you took a hairpin out of your head, and--"

"I did, of course. Where else would I get one?"

"And dipped it in paraffin, and then stuck it through the egg. I
declare I could find it in my heart to be sorry for that judge. Only
th