there is somebody listening!" and he went
swiftly and put his head through the curtain. But the room was empty; for
meantime Grace was so surprised by the lady's arrival, by her beauty,
which might well have tempted any man, and by her air of respectability,
that she changed her tactics directly, and she was gone to her father for
advice and information in spite of her previous determination not to
worry him in his present condition. What he said to her can be briefly
told elsewhere; what he ordered her to do was to return and watch the
man and not the woman.

During Lucy's hesitation, which was somewhat long, a clergyman came to
the window, looked in, and promptly retired, seeing the Colonel had
company. This, however, was only a modest curate, _alias_ a detective. He
saw in half a moment that this must be Mark Waddy's pal; but as the
police like to go their own way he would not watch the lawn himself, but
asked Jem Davies, with whom he had made acquaintance, to keep an eye upon
that with his fellows, for there was a jail-bird in the house; then he
went round to the front door, by which he felt sure his bird would make
his exit. He had no earthly right to capture this ecclesiastic, but he
was prepared if the Colonel, who was a magistrate, gave him the order,
and not without.

But we are interrupting Colonel Clifford's interrogatories.

"Madam, what makes you think this disloyal person was my son?"

"Indeed, sir, I don't know," said the lady, and looking around the room
with some signs of distress. "I begin to hope it was not your son. He was
a tall young man, almost as tall as yourself. He was very handsome, with
brown hair and brown eyes, and seemed incapable of deceit."

"Have you any letters of his?" asked the Colonel.

"I had a great many, sir," said she, "but I have not kept them all."

"Have you one?" said the Colonel, sternly.

"Oh yes, sir," said Lucy, "I think I must have nearer twenty; but what
good will they be?" said she, affecting simplicity.

"Why, my dear madam," said Monckton, "Colonel Clifford is quite right;
the handwriting may not tell _you_ anything, but surely his own father
knows it. I think he is offering you a very fair test. I must tell you
plainly that if you don't produce the letters you say you possess, I
shall regret having put myself forward in this matter at all."

"Gently, sir," said the Colonel; "she has not refused to produce them."

Lucy put her hand in her pocket and drew