ke him upstairs? The papers are by the
looking-glass."

Durham followed Harding upstairs without a word. On the dressing-table a
small packet of folded documents was pushed half under the mirror.
Durham picked them up and glanced at them.

"Thank you," he said. "Now we will go down again."

"These are the papers you referred to?" he asked, as soon as they were
in the dining-room.

"Yes," Mrs. Eustace answered.

Durham laid them on the table in front of him.

"Can you tell me anything about your husband's private affairs?" he
asked, looking steadily at her.

"I don't quite understand what you mean," she replied slowly.

"In regard to his mining speculations."

Harding saw the momentary start, quickly recovered, that she gave at the
question.

"Do you know he speculated?"

She sat silent with averted face.

"Do you know he speculated both in shares and horse-racing?"

Still there was no reply, and Durham added, "Speculated and
lost--heavily?"

"Not heavily," she exclaimed, flashing round upon him. "He did not lose
heavily. He may have----"

She checked her words suddenly, closing her lips and turning her face
away.

"Will you please finish your sentence, Mrs. Eustace?"

"He may have lost--sometimes; but he won as well. He had those
shares--they may yet bring him in a fortune," she said, pointing to the
papers on the table.

"Do you know if there was ever any official reference to his
speculations?"

Harding could barely hear the words as, with bowed head, Mrs. Eustace
replied.

"I did not quite catch your answer," Durham said quietly.

"I said yes, there was--once."

"Did he tell you what was said?"

"I don't know," she said after a few moments' silence. "You had better
ask the bank. I don't know anything about it."

"Perhaps you know why your husband was appointed to this branch?"

"I don't know anything about it," she replied in a low tone.

"It may save time if I tell you at once, Mrs. Eustace, that the general
manager of the bank has put me in possession of all information
regarding your husband--you will not improve the situation by denying
what I know you thoroughly understand."

Mrs. Eustace looked up and met a glance which gave her the uncomfortable
sensation of being looked through and through. She lowered her eyes more
quickly than she had raised them, paled and then flushed blood-red.

"Your husband did not escape through the kitchen," Durham said in his
even tone of voice