r nephew entered. With a
look of moody thought on his face, he stood for some moments beside the
dressing-table drumming with his fingers on the edge of the mirror in a
way that betokened indecision.

"Is anything the matter?" his aunt asked when she had glanced at him
the second time and still he had not spoken.

"Just this," he replied, frowning slightly. "Would you believe me if I
told you that that cable you spoke of was never sent?"

CHAPTER XII

"Not sent!"

Miss Clifford laid down the comb she was using and turned upon her
nephew a face of bewilderment.

"No, it wasn't sent."

"But that's impossible; it must have been."

"It wasn't. There's no record of it."

"Oh, there is some mistake. Why, Therese herself ..."

Her voice trailed off; she stared before her in a puzzled fashion.
Then reluctantly her eyes met the young man's.

"Then you think," she said hesitatingly, "that she didn't send it after
all?"

"There's no question about it; I know she didn't."

The old lady shook her head slowly, utterly perplexed.

"But why? I can't see the least sense in it."

Roger sank upon the Chesterfield sofa and pushed his hair back from his
forehead.

"Why? Because she didn't want me to come, I suppose. Of course, you
must realise that Therese isn't fond of me."

"But even so, it's so--so stupid! You were sure to hear about your
father sooner or later."

"Yes. I should think she merely meant to postpone it a little. I have
figured it out like this: she dislikes to have me here, so she omitted
to send that cable in order to put off my knowing the old man was ill.
Not hearing from me, in a few days you'd cable again. Then I should
wire back to ask if there was any necessity of my coming over, she
would show the message to Father, knowing perfectly well he would
insist on my staying to finish up the business. She knows he would
have to be in the last extremity before he'd be willing for me to quit
in the middle of a big job. In the end the chances were I'd not have
to come at all. Do you see?"

His aunt picked up the comb again and carefully smoothed her front hair.

"It sounds very complicated. Do you suppose she reasoned all that out
and was prepared to take so much trouble to keep you away?"

"I do," he said simply, and lit a cigarette.

"It's hard to believe. And yet... Roger, why is it Therese dislikes
you?"

He got up and strolled about aimlessly.

"Ask me another," he