that to poor old Sabre. I hadn't the face to. But I
say it to you. You're no doubt thinking it for yourself. All that chain
of circumstances, eh? Went out of his way to get her her first job. Got
her into his house. In a way responsible for her getting the sack. Child
born just about when it must have been born after she'd been sacked.
Girl coming to him for help. Writing to his wife, 'If only you knew the
truth.' Wife leaving him. Eh? It's pretty fierce, isn't it? And I don't
believe he's got an idea of it. I don't believe he realises for a moment
what an extraordinary coil it all is. God help him if he ever does....
He'll want it.

"No, I didn't say a word like that to him. I couldn't. The nearest I got
to it was I said, 'Well, but time's getting on, you know, old man. It's
a--a funny position on the face of it. What do you suppose your wife's
thinking all this time?'

"He said his wife would be absolutely all right once he'd found a home
for the girl and sent her away. He said his wife was always a bit sharp
in her views of things, but that she'd be all right when it was all
over.

"I said, 'H'm. Heard from her?'

"He had--once. He showed me the letter. Well, you know, old man, every
fox knows what foxes smell like; and I smelt a dear brother solicitor's
smell in that letter. Smelt it strong. Asking him to make a home
possible for her to return to so they might resume their life together.
I recognised it. I've dictated dozens.

"I handed it back. I said, 'H'm' again. I said, 'H'm, you remember, old
man, there was that remark of hers just as she was leaving you--that
remark that perhaps the girl might have a claim on you. Remember that,
don't you?'

"By Jove, I thought for a minute he was going to flare up and let me
have it. But he laughed instead. Laughed as if I was a fool and said,
'Oh, good Lord, man, that's utterly ridiculous. That was only just my
wife's way. My wife's got plenty of faults to find with me--but that
kind of thing! Man alive, with all my faults, my wife knows me.'

"Perhaps--I say, my holy aunt, it's nearly two o'clock! Come on, I'm for
bed. Perhaps his wife does know him. What I'm thinking is, does he know
his wife? I'm a solicitor. I know what I'd say if she came to me."

CHAPTER III

I

On a day a month later--in May--Hapgood said:

"Now, I'll tell you. Old Sabre--by Jove, it's frightful. He's crashed.
The roof's fallen in on him. He's nearly out of his mind. I don't like