brakes
with all his force, brought the bicycle to an abrupt standstill, and
dismounted amid a whirling cloud of dust and small stones. He rang the
door bell furiously. Finding that the door was not immediately opened
he rang again, and then a third time, leaving less than half a minute
between the peals. Then a maid, breathless, and in a very bad temper,
opened the door and asked him what he wanted.

"I must see Miss King at once," said Meldon, "on most important
business."

"Miss King is out, sir," said the maid.

"Where is she? When did she go out? When will she be home?"

The servant could have answered two of the three questions without
difficulty. She knew when Miss King went out. She also knew where she
had gone to. She could have guessed at the hour of her return; but
seeing that Meldon appeared to be in a hurry she took her revenge for
the violent ringing of the bell which had disturbed her.

"I'll go and enquire, sir," she said.

She spent nearly ten minutes making enquiries. Then she returned with
the information that Miss King had gone out immediately after luncheon.
She had accompanied Sir Gilbert Hawkesby to the river where he intended
to fish.

"She's gone with Sir Gilbert Hawkesby!" said Meldon.

"Yes, sir."

Meldon turned away and walked slowly down the avenue. When he reached
the tennis court he propped his bicycle up against a tree and took out
his pipe. Miss King's brilliant hammock was still hanging between the
two trees to which Callaghan had attached it on the morning after her
arrival. Meldon lit his pipe and lay down in the hammock. He was
puzzled. Miss King's conduct was unaccountable. The judge's was
strange. But Meldon held a belief that there is no problem so
difficult but will yield its solution to patient thought and tobacco.
He drew in and expelled rich clouds of smoke; and set himself to think
hard. The judge had recognised the impossibility of living in Doyle's
hotel. That was a plain and intelligible point from which to start.
He had gone straight to Ballymoy House, knowing that he would find Miss
King there. It was difficult to guess where he got his information;
but mere speculation on points of that kind was obviously useless. The
judge did know, and had made up his mind to settle down in Ballymoy as
Miss King's guest. Miss King had apparently received him; had even
gone out fishing with him. Meldon could find no explanation of the
facts except one,