don't want him," replied Bryce just as brusquely. "I came to see
you."

Mary hesitated. She continued to regard Bryce steadily, and Bryce did
not like the way in which she was looking at him. He made haste to speak
before she could either leave or dismiss him.

"You'd better give me a few minutes," he said, with a note of warning.
"I'm here in your interests--or in Ransford's. I may as well tell you,
straight out, Ransford's in serious and imminent danger! That's a fact."

"Danger of what?" she demanded.

"Arrest--instant arrest!" replied Bryce. "I'm telling you the
truth. He'll probably be arrested tonight, on his return. There's no
imagination in all this--I'm speaking of what I know. I've--curiously
enough--got mixed up with these affairs, through no seeking of my own,
and I know what's behind the scenes. If it were known that I'm letting
out secrets to you, I should get into trouble. But, I want to warn you!"

Mary stood before him on the path, hesitating. She knew enough to know
that Bryce was telling some sort of truth: it was plain that he had been
mixed up in the recent mysteries, and there was a ring of conviction
in his voice which impressed her. And suddenly she had visions of
Ransford's arrest, of his being dragged off to prison to meet a cruel
accusation, of the shame and disgrace, and she hesitated further.

"But if that's so," she said at last, "what's the good of coming to me?
I can't do anything!"

"I can!" said Bryce significantly. "I know more--much more--than the
police know--more than anybody knows. I can save Ransford. Understand
that!"

"What do you want now?" she asked.

"To talk to you--to tell you how things are," answered Bryce. "What harm
is there in that? To make you see how matters stand, and then to show
you what I can do to put things right."

Mary glanced at an open summer-house which stood beneath the beech trees
on one side of the garden. She moved towards it and sat down there, and
Bryce followed her and seated himself.

"Well--" she said.

Bryce realized that his moment had arrived. He paused, endeavouring
to remember the careful preparations he had made for putting his case.
Somehow, he was not so clear as to his line of attack as he had been ten
minutes previously--he realized that he had to deal with a young woman
who was not likely to be taken in nor easily deceived. And suddenly he
plunged into what he felt to be the thick of things.

"Whether you, or whether Ra