itted a chuckle of mingled disgust and amusement.

"Up to his old tricks, is he?" he said. "Well, the coast being clear,
let's consider what course to pursue. If we look at it from the point of
view of what we ought to do there is no question but that we ought to
come forward and say that we were on the marsh that night, and that
shortly after hearing a blood-curdling scream we saw Chermside in the
rays of the searchlight hurrying towards the town."

Enid's face fell. There was no heinous fault in her evening walk with
her old playmate, and she did not in the least mind that coming to
light, but she shrank from the publicity of having to appear as a
witness whose evidence would be almost in the nature of an implied
accusation against a man whom she could not regard for an instant as
having anything to do with the crime. She had played tennis with Leslie
Chermside, and liked him; besides which she had conceived a romantic
affection for beautiful Violet Maynard, and had watched the undeclared
love idyll between the young Indian officer and the millionaire's
daughter with lively interest.

Possibly the cloud on Enid's frank face prompted Reggie to come to a
decision more than half formed already.

"But," he went on without giving her time to reply, "one doesn't in this
wicked world always do what one ought, Pussy."

"I never do," rejoined the girl, omitting to pretend to resent the use
of the once familiar nickname. "I don't see why we should now."

"Nor, on the whole, do I," Reggie relieved her with his assent. "You
see, it might put Chermside into the deuce of a hole, since he was
undoubtedly acquainted with this chap Levison. He will have to own to
that, anyhow, as he called on Levison once or twice at the _Plume_, and
the police are sure to have got hold of that. But, though there's
something mysterious about him, Chermside is a gentleman. I cannot
imagine him carving a little Jew all to pieces simply because of a
difference of opinion. He couldn't have had any real motive for doing
such a horrible thing, since they say at the club that he's simply
rolling in coin. And I don't suppose Levison can have been a rival for
the hand of the peerless Violet."

"That suggestion is nothing short of sacrilege, you rude, crude
sailor-man!" protested Enid. "Well, we are to lie low, then, and keep a
stiff upper lip?"

"That's about the ticket," Reggie agreed, rising and stretching
himself. "I don't see that one is even call