tructed the cabman, he left Anne to
convoy Effie and the luggage, and went on to the Temple by Underground
Railway with an easy mind.

Shortly after Geoffrey reached his chambers in Pump Court the solicitor
arrived as had been arranged, not his uncle--who was, he learned, very
unwell--but a partner. To his delight he then found that Beatrice's
ghost theory was perfectly accurate; the boy with the missing toe-joint
had been discovered who saw the whole horrible tragedy through a crack
in the blind; moreover the truth had been wrung from him and he would
be produced at the trial--indeed a proof of his evidence was already
forthcoming. Also some specimens of the ex-lawyer's clerk's handwriting
had been obtained, and were declared by two experts to be identical with
the writing on the will. One thing, however, disturbed him: neither the
Attorney-General nor Mr. Candleton was yet in town, so no conference
was possible that evening. However, both were expected that night--the
Attorney-General from Devonshire and Mr. Candleton from the Continent;
so the case being first on the list, it was arranged that the conference
should take place at ten o'clock on the following morning.

On arriving home Geoffrey was informed that Lady Honoria was dressing,
and had left a message saying he must be quick and do likewise as
a gentleman was coming to dinner. Accordingly he went to his own
room--which was at the other end of the flat--and put on his dress
clothes. Before going to the dining-room, however, he said good-night to
Effie--who was in bed, but not asleep--and asked her what time she had
reached home.

"At twenty minutes past five, daddy," Effie said promptly.

"Twenty minutes past five! Why, you don't mean to say that you were an
hour coming that little way! Did you get blocked in the fog?"

"No, daddy, but----"

"But what, dear?"

"Anne did tell me not to say!"

"But I tell you to say, dear--never mind Anne!"

"Anne stopped and talked to the ticket-man for a long, long time."

"Oh, did she?" he said.

At that moment the parlourmaid came to say that Lady Honoria and the
"gentleman" were waiting for dinner. Geoffrey asked her casually what
time Miss Effie had reached home.

"About half-past five, sir. Anne said the cab was blocked in the fog."

"Very well. Tell her ladyship that I shall be down in a minute."

"Daddy," said the child, "I haven't said my prayers. Mother did not
come, and Anne said it was all nonsense