wife that you were taking him
for a moonlight run. Why did he conceal your errand in that way, I
wonder."

The young man made a gesture of helplessness. "Why? I can guess no
better than you."

"Why," muttered Trent as if to himself, gazing on the ground, "did he
conceal it--from Mrs. Manderson?" He looked up at Marlowe.

"And from Martin," the other amended coolly. "He was told the same
thing."

With a sudden movement of his head Trent seemed to dismiss the subject.
He drew from his breast-pocket a letter-case, and thence extracted two
small leaves of clean, fresh paper.

"Just look at these two slips, Mr. Marlowe," he said. "Did you ever see
them before? Have you any idea where they come from?" he added, as
Marlowe took one in each hand and examined them curiously.

"They seem to have been cut with a knife or scissors from a small diary
for this year--from the October pages," Marlowe observed, looking them
over on both sides. "I see no writing of any kind on them. Nobody here
has any such diary so far as I know. What about them?"

"There may be nothing in it," Trent said dubiously. "Any one in the
house, of course, might have such a diary without your having seen it.
But I didn't much expect you would be able to identify the leaves--in
fact, I should have been surprised if you had."

He stopped speaking as Mrs. Manderson came towards them. "My uncle
thinks we should be going now," she said.

"I think I will walk on with Mr. Bunner," Mr. Cupples said as he joined
them. "There are certain business matters that must be disposed of as
soon as possible. Will you come on with these two gentlemen, Mabel? We
will wait for you before we reach the place."

Trent turned to her. "Mrs. Manderson will excuse me, I hope," he said.
"I really came up this morning in order to look about me here for some
indications I thought I might possibly find. I had not thought of
attending the--the court just yet."

She looked at him with eyes of perfect candor. "Of course, Mr. Trent.
Please do exactly as you wish. We are all relying upon you. If you will
wait a few moments, Mr. Marlowe, I shall be ready."

She entered the house. Her uncle and the American had already strolled
towards the gate.

Trent looked into the eyes of his companion. "That is a wonderful
woman," he said in a lowered voice.

"You say so without knowing her," replied Marlowe in a similar tone.
"She is more than that."

Trent said nothing to this. He stared