otel is likely to affect our plans?"

"Do you want me to invite him out in the _Spindrift_? If so, I hope to
goodness he won't be sick. I had enough of that yesterday."

"I sometimes think, Major, that you pretend to be stupid simply to
annoy me. Don't you see that sooner or later he's bound to come across
Miss King? He'll see her next Sunday in church, if he doesn't meet her
sooner. He'll recognise her at once. The trial occupied ten days, and
during the whole of that time she was standing opposite to him and he
was studying her face. He can't fail to know her again when he sees
her. Now, recollect that he believed in her guilt. I pointed out to
you at the time that he summed up dead against her--"

"I don't believe she was guilty, J. J."

"Nor, apparently, did the jury," said Meldon. "But the judge did.
That's the point to bear in mind. Under the circumstances, what is he
likely to do? He finds Mrs. Lorimer here masquerading as Miss King,
and--"

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that. Since I have met Miss King
I'm less inclined than ever to believe in that identification of yours.
She strikes me--"

"We are now considering how she will strike the judge," said Meldon,
"and how he's likely to act. It seems to me there's only one thing he
can do, and that is warn every marriageable man in the neighbourhood of
Miss King's real character and past record, and then what will happen
to your plan? Will Simpkins be prepared to marry her? Certainly not."

"Well, I'm extremely glad the judge is coming if he puts a stop to the
way you're going on."

"I'm not quite sure yet that he is coming," said Meldon.

"I thought Doyle said--"

"Doyle said he had engaged rooms at the hotel and taken the fishing.
It doesn't absolutely follow that he'll occupy the rooms and catch the
salmon. Sabina Gallagher is, I understand from Doyle, to kill a
chicken, but it's not quite certain yet that the judge will eat the
chicken."

"It'll depend a good deal on the way it's cooked, I suppose," said the
Major.

"It will also depend upon the judge's reaching Ballymoy. As a matter
of fact, I have a plan in my mind which may--which probably
will--prevent his getting further than Donard. I intend to ask Dr.
O'Donoghue to co-operate with me. I can't be quite certain yet that
we'll be successful in heading off the judge and sending him somewhere
else for his salmon fishing. But my plan is an extremely good one. It
ough