nd; even if I were able to give you information about these
unknown friends I do not know how it could in any way help you to solve
the sad question of her mental state at the time.'

'You think these friends of hers whom you speak of would not be able to
do so either?'

'Ah!' cried Lady Falconer, 'you are accepting my vague recollections
almost as if they were legal evidence, whereas I really cannot tell you
whether the Spanish maid alluded to friends or to the death of Mrs.
Ogilvie's husband and her little boy. I can only say that the
impression that remains with me is that Mrs. Ogilvie had been seeing
some friends off on a voyage.'

'It would be important to know who those friends were,' said Mr. Semple.

'I wish I could help you!' said Lady Falconer.

They made a longer _detour_ in the gardens than Lady Falconer would
have cared to make had she not been interested in the man by her side,
whose inquisitiveness was based upon friendship, and whose most
persistent interrogations had been touched with a quiet and sober tact
which contrasted pleasantly with Mr. Lawrence's dictatorial manner.
That genial and rubicund person was now seen approaching with Sir John,
and suggested that they 'ought to draw Peter for tea.'

Lady Falconer declined the refreshment with considerable emphasis.
This visit to the closed house so recently shadowed by death seemed to
her in doubtful taste, and she would now have preferred to return home;
but Peter had seen them from the house, and being the least churlish of
men he came out on to the terrace and invited the party to come in. He
disliked Mr. Lawrence as much as it was in his uncritical nature to
dislike any one; but it is more than possible that he would have
resented a word said in his disfavour. 'Lawrence is a good fellow,' he
used to say charitably, 'only he is so beastly domestic.'

Mr. Lawrence's conversation was indeed principally of the intimate
order of things, and was concerned with details of births, deaths, and
marriages, such as the feminine rather than the male mind is more
generally supposed to indulge in. He drank several cups of tea, and
was deeply interested in the fact that the tea-service was not the one
in common use at Bowshott, and that, therefore, probably the bulk of
the silver had been sent to the bank. He would have liked to make a
tour of the rooms to see if there were any other changes noticeable
anywhere, and he more than once remarked to his fri