xed.

"Dr. Wellesley got me to send for you, Mr. Brent," said the
superintendent. "He's got something to tell which he thinks you, as
next-of-kin to our late Mayor, ought to know."

Brent nodded, and turned, in silence, to Wellesley. Wellesley, who had
been staring moodily at the fireless grate, looked up, glancing from one
man to the other.

"You understand, Mr. Brent, and you, Hawthwaite, that whatever I tell
you is told in the very strictest confidence?" he said. "As you say,
Hawthwaite, I think it's something that you ought to know, both of you;
but, at present, I don't know if there's anything in it--I mean anything
that has real, practical relation to Wallingford's death, or not. I am
to speak in confidence?"

"To me--yes," answered Brent promptly.

"It'll not go beyond me, doctor," said Hawthwaite with a smile. "I'm
used to this job! Heard more secrets and private communications in my
time than I can remember; I've clean forgotten most of 'em."

"Very well," agreed Wellesley. "This is strictly private, then, at
present. Now, to begin with, I suppose you have both heard--it's pretty
well known through the town, I understand--that Mrs. Mallett has left
her husband?"

"Ay!" replied Hawthwaite. "I've heard that."

"Yes," said Brent. "I too."

"I dare say you both gathered from that evidence, of mine and of Mrs.
Mallett's, at the adjourned inquest, that there was some mystery
underlying her visit to me?" continued Wellesley. "Some secret, eh?"

"Couldn't very well gather anything else, doctor!" replied Hawthwaite.
"Evident!"

"The fact of the case is," said Wellesley suddenly, "that wasn't the
first visit Mrs. Mallett had paid to me--and to Wallingford--in that
way. She'd been twice before, during that week. On the first occasion
she only saw me; on the second she and I saw Wallingford together, in
the Mayor's Parlour; on the third--the one we gave evidence about--she
went to see Wallingford alone, but, as she told you, she found he was
engaged, so she came away."

The three men looked at each other. Hawthwaite voiced what two of the
three were wondering.

"Some business which concerned all three of you, then, doctor?" he
suggested.

"Business which deeply concerned her, and on which she came to consult
me and Wallingford," replied Wellesley. "Now I'll tell you straight out
what it was. Mrs. Mallett had found out that there was some sort of an
intrigue between her husband and Mrs. Saumarez!"

For