. Flexen went through the library window to find Mr. Manley strolling
up and down the lawn with every appearance of enjoying his pipe and the
respite from perusing papers.

"Mr. Carrington tells me that you were in Lord Loudwater's confidence,"
said Mr. Flexen.

"Wholly," said Mr. Manley, with more promptness than his actual knowledge
of the facts warranted.

It seemed to him fitting that a secretary of his intelligence and
discretion should have been wholly in the confidence of any nobleman who
employed him. Therefore he himself must have been.

"Then perhaps you can tell me whether he was entangled with a woman,"
said Mr. Flexen.

"Entangled? In what way?" said Mr. Manley in a tone of surprise.

"In the usual way, I suppose. Was he engaged in a love-affair with any
woman, or had he been?"

"He certainly did not tell me anything about it if he was," said Mr.
Manley. "But that is the kind of thing he might very well _not_ confide
to his secretary."

"You don't happen to know if he was making any payments to a woman--an
allowance, for example?" said Mr. Flexen.

Mr. Manley was well on his guard by now. These questions must surely
refer to Helena.

"He never told me anything about it," he said with perfect readiness.
"Not, of course, that I would tell you if he had," he added, in his most
amiable voice. "I've told you that I thought that he made enough trouble
while he was alive. I won't help him to make trouble now that he's dead."

Mr. Flexen thought that the asseveration was unnecessary, since Mr.
Manley had not the knowledge which would make the trouble. He returned to
the lawyer and told him that Mr. Manley had no information to give.

"It seems a very important point in the affair," said the lawyer.

"It is," said Mr. Flexen, frowning. "I wonder if there was an intrigue
with a country girl or woman, some one in the neighbourhood?"

"There might have been. Lord Loudwater rode a great deal. He was
hours in the saddle every day. He had time and opportunity for that
kind of thing."

"On the other hand, there's no need for it to have been any one in the
neighbourhood at all. To say nothing of the train, it's a short enough
motor drive from London; and it was a moonlight night," said Mr. Flexen.

"Then you may be able to find traces of the car. The woman must have left
it somewhere while she had the interview with Lord Loudwater," said Mr.
Carrington.

"I'll try," said Mr. Flexen, not very hopefully,