ere and
spoke to her."

"A witness? Dear God! Who?"

"Geoffrey Clavering!"

"Geoffrey Clavering? Geoffrey?"

"Yes. He and Lady Katharine had an interview in the ruin this evening,
an interview which I overheard without either being aware of my
presence. That is what sent Lady Katharine to bed with a bad headache
just before dinner. Geoffrey Clavering accused her of murdering De
Louvisan and acknowledged that it was he himself who placed the two
lighted candles at the feet of the dead man's body."

She made no cry this time, no single sound. He knew that she was beyond
doing so, that she was struck to the very heart, and he made haste to
lessen her distress by telling her of Lady Katharine's denial and of the
whole circumstance as it happened. Then he told of his own discovery of
the buried clothing, his overhearing the interview, the manner in which
the lovers had parted, and, finally, of his own act in apprehending
young Clavering and then accepting his parole and sending him off to
London for the night.

"Why did you do that?" she questioned feebly, and was not satisfied even
when he explained his motive. "I will not even take his word against
Kathie's, but I could have told you that he speaks the truth when he
says that his stepmother's interest in him is so great it is very likely
that she did go out on the Common to look for him, and for the reason he
gave. If he were her own son she could not think more of him. She
absolutely idolizes him. He is not dearer to his father than he is to
her; and if he does not return to Clavering Close to-night, be sure she
will have the Common searched from end to end, and will go half out of
her mind when she does not find him."

Cleek took his chin between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed it
hard. This was somewhat of a facer, he was obliged to confess.

"You rather take the wind out of my sails," he said reflectively. "If
the boy spoke the truth, if the stepmother really does care like that,
why that eliminates her from the case altogether, and it isn't worth
while asking you to take the risk I alluded to in the note."

"What risk?"

"A very considerable one for a young lady in your position, should you
be seen. As I do not even know Lady Clavering by sight, I was going to
ask you if you would mind prowling about the Common in company with me,
that, if the lady put in an appearance, you might be able to identify
her for me. But of course, if it is so very certai