t Mrs. Saumarez? To be sure! Now what did he
answer? He answered frankly that _there had been but it no longer
existed_! Do you know what I deduced from that, Mr. Brent? This--that
the little lady had had both those men as strings to her bow at the same
time, indecisive as to which of 'em she'd finally choose, but that, not
so long since, she'd given up both, in favour of a third man!"

Brent started, and laughed.

"Ingenious, Peppermore, very ingenious!" he said. "Given 'em both the
mitten as they say? But the third man?"

"Mrs. Saumarez was away on the Continent most of the winter," answered
Peppermore. "The Riviera, Nice, Monte Carlo--that sort of thing. She may
have met somebody there that she preferred to either Wellesley or
Wallingford. Anyway, Mr. Brent, what did the doctor mean when he frankly
admitted that there had been jealousy between him and Wallingford, but
that it _no longer existed_? He meant, I take it, that there was no
reason for its further existence. That implies that another man had come
into the arena!"

"Ay, but does it?" said Brent. "It might mean something else--that she'd
finally accepted Wellesley. Eh?"

"No," declared Peppermore. "She's not engaged to Wellesley: I'll lay
anything she isn't, Mr. Brent. There's a third man, somewhere in the
background, and it's my opinion that that's the reason why she doesn't
want the publicity she came to me about."

Brent fell into a new train of thought, more or less confused. Mrs.
Saumarez's talk to him about Wallingford, and the letters, and the
things in the casket, were all mixed up in it.

"Had you any opportunity of seeing Wellesley and my cousin together
during the last week or two before my cousin's death?" he asked
presently.

"Several, Mr. Brent, several opportunities," answered Peppermore. "I
went to report the proceedings of two or three committees of the Town
Council during the fortnight preceding that lamentable occurrence, sir,
and saw them at close quarters. I saw them frequently at the Club, of
which I am a member. I should say, sir, from what I observed, that they
were on very good terms with each other--more friendly than ever, Mr.
Brent."

"Um," said Brent. "Well, there's a lot of queer stuff about this
business, Peppermore. But let's get back to that of the moment. Look
here, I've got a fine notion for your _Monitor_--you'll just have time
to get it out before my election day. Let's make a real, vigorous,
uncompromising att