ion. She could not tear herself away. She had been denied joy too
long, and it was intoxicating.

It was five o'clock before she left the Pavilion. She walked briskly,
with her wonted, easy, swinging gait, back to the Castle, in a dream, her
anxiety and fear for the while forgotten. On her way up to her suite of
rooms she met no one. She was quick to take off her hat and ring for her
tea. Elizabeth Twitcher brought it to her, and from her Olivia learned
that only Mr. Manley had asked for her. She realized that, after all,
thanks to her dead husband, she was but an inconspicuous person in the
Castle. No one had been used to consult her in any matter. She was glad
of it. At the moment all she desired was freedom of action, freedom to be
with Antony; and the fact that the life of the Castle moved smoothly
along in the capable hands of Mrs. Carruthers and Mr. Manley gave her
that freedom.

After her tea she went out into the rose-garden and was strolling up and
down it when Mr. Flexen, pondering the information which he had obtained
from William Roper, saw her and came out to her. He thought that she
shrank a little at the sight of him, but assured himself that it must be
fancy; surely there could be no reason why she should shrink from him.

"I'm told, Lady Loudwater, that you went out through the library window
into the garden for a stroll about a quarter to twelve last night. Did
you by any chance, as you went in or came out, hear Lord Loudwater snore?
I want to fix the latest hour at which he was certainly alive. You see
how important it may prove."

She hesitated, wrinkling her brow as she weighed the importance of her
answer. Then she looked at him with limpid eyes and said:

"Yes."

He knew--the sixth sense of the criminal investigator told him--that she
lied, and he was taken aback. Why should she lie? What did she know? What
had she to hide?

"Did you hear him snore going out, or coming in?" he said.

"Both," said Olivia firmly.

Mr. Flexen hesitated. He did not believe her. Then he said: "How long did
Lord Loudwater sleep after dinner as a rule? What time did he go to bed?"

"It varied a good deal. Generally he awoke and went to bed before twelve.
But sometimes it was nearer one, especially if he was disturbed and went
to sleep again."

"Thank you," said Mr. Flexen, and he left her and went back into
the Castle.

Lord Loudwater had certainly been disturbed by the woman with whom he
had quarrelled. H