Spare me that, for the sake of the love you once bore for me."

"No. I repeat my question," I said slowly, but very determinedly.

"Ah! no. I--I can't answer it. I----"

For a few moments a silence fell between us.

Then I said in a low, meaning tone:

"You can't answer it, Phrida, because you are ashamed, eh?"

She sprang upon me in an instant, her face full of resentful fire.

"No!" she declared vehemently. "I am not ashamed--only I--I cannot tell
you the reason I went to Harrington Gardens. That's all."

"Yours is, to say the least, a rather thin excuse, is it not?" I asked.

"What else can I say? Simply I can tell you nothing."

"But you admit that you went to Harrington Gardens. Did you go more than
once?" I asked very quietly.

She nodded in the affirmative.

"And the last occasion was on the night when my friend was forced to
fly, eh?" I suggested.

I saw that she was about to elude answering my question. Therefore, I
added:

"I already know you were there. I have established your presence beyond
the shadow of doubt. So you may just as well admit it."

"I--I do," she faltered, sinking again into her chair and resting her
elbows upon her knees.

"You were there--you were present when the crime was committed," I said,
looking straight at her as I stood before her with folded arms.

"Whoever has said that tells wicked lies," was her quick response.

"You were in Digby's room that night--after I left," I declared.

"How do you know."

"Because the police have photographs of your finger-prints," was my quiet
reply.

The effect of my words upon her was electrical.

"The police!" she gasped, her face instantly pale as death. "Do they
know?"

"Inspector Edwards is in possession of your finger-prints," I replied
briefly.

"Then--then they will suspect me!" she shrieked in despair. "Ah! Teddy!
If you love me, save me!"

And she flung herself wildly at my feet, clutching my hands and raising
her face to mine in frantic appeal.

"For that very reason I have returned here to you to-day, Phrida," I
replied in a low tone of sympathy. "If I can save you from being
implicated in this terrible affair, I will. But you must tell me the
whole truth from the start. Then I may be able to devise a plan to
ensure your security."

And I slowly assisted her to her feet and led her back to her chair.

She sat without moving or speaking for some moments, gravely thinking.
Then of a sudden, she said in a h