t the manner in which it was put by the
representative of the company was a perfect example of how a business
man should address a lady.

"It is the case," said she.

"May I ask your ladyship's authority--in strict confidence of course?"
enquired the representative firmly, but very courteously.

"I learned it from my own man of business," said she.

"Thank you," said the insurance representative. "I beg that your
ladyship will say nothing of my call, and I shall undertake not to
mention the source of my information," and with an adequate bow he
returned to the house.

Before disappearing through her library window, Mr. Carrington saw that
her ladyship's back was turned, and he then gave this candid, if
somewhat sketchy, account of his interview to her butler.

"It suddenly struck me," said he, "that Lady Cromarty might think it
somewhat unseemly of me to come enquiring about shooting so soon after
her bereavement; so I gave her a somewhat different explanation. She is
not likely to make any further enquiries about me and so you need say
nothing about my visit."

He was careful however to impress on his friend Mr. Bisset that he
actually had come from purely sporting motives. In fact he professed
some anxiety to get in touch with Sir Malcolm on the subject, even
though assured that the young baronet had nothing to do with the
shootings.

"Ah, but it will gratify him, Bisset," said he, "and I think it is the
nice thing to do. Could you give me his London address?"

He jotted this down in his pocket book, and then as he was leaving he
said confidentially:

"You tell me that you think Sir Malcolm is interested in Miss Farmond,
though she seemed not so keen on him?"

"That was the way of it to my thinking," said Bisset. "And what
deduction would you draw from that, sir?"

"I should deduce," said this sympathetic and intelligent visitor, "the
probable appearance of certain evidence bearing on our theories,
Bisset."

Mr. Bisset thought he had seldom met a pleasanter gentleman or a more
helpful assistant.

XXV

A TELEGRAM

The car took Mr. Carrington straight back to the town and dropped him at
the door of Mr. Rattar's office.

"I shall want you again at two o'clock sharp," he said to the chauffeur,
and turned in to the office.

He caught the lawyer just before he went out to lunch and said at once:

"I want to see Sir Malcolm Cromarty. Can you arrange for him to run up
here for a day?"

Sim