the plea that he wanted to write some
letters and retired to his den, while Miss Temple and I sat down before
the fire in the library for our first real tete-a-tete. It had begun to
rain heavily outside, with a stiff breeze blowing from the southwest,
and it seemed wonderfully fine and warm and altogether delightful,
sitting here in the firelight with the woman I loved beside me.

CHAPTER XII

I ASK MISS TEMPLE A QUESTION

"Miss Temple," I said, as we sat beside each other on the big
leather-covered settle facing the fire, "I want to thank you with all my
heart for going up to London to see me. I know why you went and can
never tell you how deeply I appreciate it."

She looked at me with her bewitching smile, which somehow made me feel
both delightfully happy and yet vaguely uncertain of myself. "I had to
come, Mr. Morgan," she said. "As soon as I knew the police were
fastening their suspicions upon you, I knew I should be obliged to tell
what I had seen. Yet I felt horrified at the thought of accusing my
father. I could not understand his being where I imagined I saw him. I
knew his mad desire for the jewel and was filled with dismay at the
thought that he would attempt to secure it by such means. Of course I
had no thought then of Mr. Ashton's death. I ran to my room, threw off
my wet clothes, and appeared in the hall just as your cries aroused the
house. Li Min must have re-entered the house just after I retired to my
room. I did not look into the hallway of the west wing. I avoided doing
so purposely, as I did not wish to humiliate my father by letting him
know that I had seen him on the roof. Of course I was deceived by the
long coat and cap. My father is of about the same height as Li Min, and
I had been so accustomed to seeing him in that particular coat and
cap--he invariably wore them when walking about the grounds--that I felt
no doubt whatever as to his identity. Had I found you in London, Mr.
Morgan, I should have told you everything and been guided by your
advice."

"I wish you had found me there," I said, "but, as it is, everything has
turned out well. Only I am sorry that you should have had to undergo
such a terrible experience."

"Oh, it wasn't so bad. They gave me a very comfortable room at the
police station in London, and the matron was extremely kind. I might
have enjoyed the experience thoroughly, had I not been so terribly
worried about my father." The dark shadow which fell across