ly. "My husband cashed it as soon as the bank was open,
and left London shortly after. He has the money. I have not had a cent
of it. The notes are in my purse. He left them so that I should be
able to follow."

"Just so. You will please return them to Miss Briskett, and we will
deal with the other sum later on. Your intention was to leave the hotel
for good this morning, and you provided Miss Briskett with commissions
to keep her out of the way while you made your preparations. That is
the case, is it not?"

The woman did not answer, but looked across the room towards where
Cornelia stood; and Cornelia parted her hands and looked back at her in
pitiful inquiry.

"_Did_ you mean to run away, and leave me here alone?"

Mrs Moffatt bent her head in shame. Her face was not white now, but
deep, burning red.

"We knew--after last night--that the game was up. We _had_ to go,
Cornelia--or--"

"Be kind enough not to address Miss Briskett by her Christian name!"
interrupted Guest, sharply. It seemed to him an impossible humiliation
that this woman should still dare to address the girl in the language of
friendship. "Let us get to the end of this business. I presume there
are other bills, which will come in, in due course; bills for goods
ordered in other forged notes. Am I right in supposing this? It is
your best plan to speak the truth!"

"Y-es!"

"There _are_ more bills! Can you give me an approximate idea of their
amount? Fifty pounds, one hundred, two hundred? What is the amount?"

"About--one hundred."

"And the hotel expenses! Miss Briskett suspects from the manner of the
officials that you were thoughtful enough to take these rooms in her
name. Again I ask you, is that the case?"

A bend of the head gave assent, and Guest wheeled round with a gesture
of intense indignation, took a few rapid strides up and down the room,
then halted again by Mrs Moffatt's side.

"And, not content with cheating and plotting to desert this young girl,
whom you professed to befriend, how many of her personal possessions
have you stolen? You had free access to her room--have you taken
advantage of her absence this morning to rob her of her private
belongings?"

Two exclamations, of denial, of dismay, and reproach, sounded in his
ears. Innocent and guilty alike regarded him with indignant eyes. To
the mysterious feminine reasoning it appeared there were different
degrees in the crime of theft. To pay a