s free to depart now, but he was going to do nothing of the
kind. Sartoris was likely to be engaged for some time, and meanwhile
Berrington was able to make investigations. He was desirous of finding
out the secret of the dining-room, the way in which things were changed
there, and the like. Of course, it had all been done by human agency,
and what one man can invent another can find out. There was not likely
to be a more favourable opportunity.

Berrington stepped into the dining-room and closed the door behind him.
But he closed it with his hand hard on the turned lock so that it should
sound as if it had banged to, whereas, directly the handle was released
it would fall open a little way. Berrington was not going to leave
anything to chance, and he had no hesitation in playing the spy.

From where he stood he could hear the wheels of Sartoris's chair
rattling over the parquet flooring of the hall, he heard the front door
open, and the timid voice of a girl speaking. It did not sound like the
voice of anybody with evil intent, and just for an instant it occurred
to Berrington that perhaps his suspicions had been misplaced.

But only for an instant, until the voice spoke again. He had no
difficulty now in recognising the voice as that of Beatrice Richford.
Berrington was a little staggered, for he had not expected this. He had
totally forgotten the letter, but it came flashing back to his mind now,
and Mary's promise that no harm should come of it.

And yet Mary had either overestimated her powers or placed too low a
value on the cunning of her brother. At any rate, there could be no
doubt of the fact that the letter had been delivered, and that Beatrice
was here in reply to it.

"Very good," Berrington said between his teeth. "I will see that no harm
comes of this thing. Beatrice has been brought here to be pumped as to
her father's papers and the like. Still, thanks to my little adventure
to-night I have a pretty good idea what these scoundrels are after. I'll
just go as far as the study and see that it is all right."

Berrington slipped off his boots and crept along the hall. So far as he
could see all was quiet. There was a double door to the study, so that
Berrington could not hear much, but the inner door had not been closed.
It was only necessary to swing back the baize door to hear all that was
taking place in the study.

But Berrington decided that he would leave that for the present. It
mattered very l