impostor may well ask what will we
do to him."

"We can do nothing," said Venetia. "How can we? How can we expose all
this before the servants--and the public? It is all entirely Teresa's
fault. If she had treated Arthur properly none of this would ever have
happened. She laughed and made light of his wickedness, she--"

"Quite so," said Simms, "but, my dear lady, what we have to think of now
is the man, Jones. We must remember that whilst being an extremely
astute person, inasmuch as he recovered for you that large property from
the man Mulhausen, he seems honest. Indeed, yes, it is quite evident
that he is honest. I would suggest his release to-morrow and the
tendering to him of an adequate sum, say one thousand pounds, on the
condition that he retires to the States. Then, later, we can think of
some means to account for the demise of the late Earl of Rochester or
simply leave it that he has disappeared."

The rest of this weird conclave remains unreported, Simms, however,
carrying his point and departing next day, after having seen his
patients, for Sandbourne-on-Sea, where he arrived late in the afternoon.

When the hired fly that carried him from Sandbourne Station arrived at
the Hoover establishment, it found the gate wide open, and at the gate
one of the attendants standing in an expectant attitude glancing up and
down the road as though he were looking for something, or waiting for
somebody.

CHAPTER XXIII

SMITHERS

Hoover, leading the way downstairs, shewed Jones the billiard-room on
the first floor, the dining-room, the smoke-room. All pleasant places,
with windows opening on the gardens. Then he introduced him to some
gentlemen. To Colonel Hawker, just come in from an after breakfast game
of croquet, to Major Barstowe, and to a young man with no chin to speak
of, named Smithers. There were several others, very quiet people, the
three mentioned are enough for consideration.

Colonel Hawker and Major Barstowe were having an argument in the
smoking-room when Hoover and Jones entered.

"I did not say I did not believe you," said Barstowe, "I said it was
strange."

"Strange," cried the Colonel, "what do you mean by strange--it's not the
word I object to, it's the tone you spoke in."

"What's the dispute?" asked Hoover.

"Why," said Barstowe, "the Colonel was telling me he had seen pigs in
Burmah sixteen feet long, and sunflowers twenty feet in diameter."

"Oh, that story," said Hoover; "