of my responsibility for Miss
Manwaring."

Sally drew a deep breath; at all events, the woman had not dared
repeat any of her former abominable accusations; if she was
unfriendly, she was also committed to a neutral attitude: no more talk
of a forged letter, no more innuendo concerning Sally's "accomplice"
of the night before.

There was a pause. The detective scratched his head in doubt.

"All this is very irregular," he deprecated vaguely.

Miss Pride opened her mouth to speak, but Lyttleton silenced her with
a murmured word or two. She sniffed resentfully but held her peace.

"I can't accept your apology;" Sally returned with dignity. "But I'm
sure you have no longer any excuse for annoying me."

But Mr. Mason held his ground. "The trouble is," he insisted, "after
those cards had been read, one of the gentlemen said he had seen you
out in the garden between two and three o'clock."

"Mr. Lyttleton!" Sally accused with a lip of scorn.

"Why, yes," the detective admitted.

Mrs. Standish made a furious gesture, but contrived to refrain from
speech.

"I suppose I shouldn't have mentioned it," Lyttleton said blandly,
looking Sally straight in the face. "But the circumstances were
peculiar, to say the least, if not incriminating. I saw this
cloaked figure from my window. I thought its actions suspicious. I
dressed hurriedly and ran down in time to intercept Miss Manwaring at
an appointment with a strange man. I didn't see his face. He turned
and ran. While I was questioning Miss Manwaring Mr. Trego came up and
misconstrued the situation. We had a bit of a row, and before it was
cleared up Miss Manwaring had escaped."

Sally's sole comment was an "Oh!" that quivered with its burden of
loathing.

"Sorry," Lyttleton finished cheerfully; "but I felt I had to mention
it. I dare say the matter was innocent enough, but still Miss
Manwaring hasn't explained it, so far as I know; I felt it my duty to
speak."

To the inquiring attitude of the detective Sally responded simply:
"Find Mrs. Gosnold."

"Yes, miss," he returned with the obstinacy of a slow-witted man.
"Meantime, I guess you won't mind my looking round a bit, will you?"

"Looking round?"

"Your room, miss."

Sally gasped. "You have the insolence to suggest searching my room?"

"Well, miss--"

"I forbid you positively to do anything of sort without Mrs. Gosnold's
permission."

"There!" Miss Pride interpolated with sour satisfaction. "If she has
n