t, not being wanting in knowledge of the
world, and after much cogitation and many solitary walks elected to
leave matters alone for the present. He liked Colonel Quaritch, and
thought that it would be a good thing for Ida to get married, though
the idea of parting from her troubled his heart sorely. Whether or no
it would be desirable from his point of view that she should marry the
Colonel was a matter on which he had not as yet fully made up his
mind. Sometimes he thought it would, and sometimes he thought the
reverse. Then at times vague ideas suggested by Edward Cossey's
behaviour about the loan would come to puzzle him. But at present he
was so much in the dark that he could come to no absolute decision, so
with unaccustomed wisdom for so headstrong and precipitate a man, he
determined to refrain from interference, and for a while at any rate
allow events to take their natural course.

CHAPTER XVI

THE HOUSE WITH THE RED PILLARS

Two days after his receipt of the second letter from the "Tiger," Mr.
Quest announced to his wife that he was going to London on business
connected with the bank, and expected to be away for a couple of
nights.

She laughed straight out. "Really, William," she said, "you are a most
consummate actor. I wonder that you think it worth while to keep up
the farce with me. Well, I hope that Edith is not going to be very
expensive this time, because we don't seem to be too rich just now,
and you see there is no more of my money for her to have."

Mr. Quest winced visibly beneath this bitter satire, which his wife
uttered with a smile of infantile innocence playing upon her face, but
he made no reply. She knew too much. Only in his heart he wondered
what fate she would mete out to him if ever she got possession of the
whole truth, and the thought made him tremble. It seemed to him that
the owner of that baby face could be terribly merciless in her
vengeance, and that those soft white hands would close round the
throat of a man she hated and utterly destroy him. Now, if never
before, he realised that between him and this woman there must be
enmity and a struggle to the death; and yet strangely enough he still
loved her!

Mr. Quest reached London about three o'clock, and his first act was to
drive to Cossey and Son's, where he was informed that old Mr. Cossey
was much better, and having heard that he was coming to town had sent
to say tha