He obeyed, more puzzled than ever; and at last she took a chair by the
back, dragged it across the carpet in a masculine way, and thumped it
down in front of him.

"It's not a pleasant subject for a lady--an unmarried lady--to talk
about, Percy Guest," she said; "but I'm getting such an old woman now
that I think it's time I might speak plainly."

"What about?" said Guest, wondering of what breach of good manners he
had been guilty.

"What about, you silly boy? Here's poor Myra eating her heart out, Edie
miserable, my brother a perfect bear, I'm worried to death, and you say,
what about! Malcolm Stratton, to be sure."

"Oh!" cried Guest, very much relieved.

"Well, I do not see anything to look pleased about, sir."

"No, of course not; only I thought I had been doing something."

"You have been doing nothing, it seems to me," said Miss Jerrold
sharply.

"Really, I have done my best."

"But I thought barristers were such clever people!"

"Oh, dear no," said Guest seriously. "Very stupid folk as a rule. Sort
of gun a barrister is. The solicitor is the clever man, and he has to
load the barrister before he goes off."

"Then for goodness' sake get some solicitor to load you, and then go off
and shoot something."

"I wish you would load me, Miss Jerrold."

"Well, look here, my dear boy. We seem to have settled down to a belief
that Malcolm Stratton has been a great scamp, and that he drew back on
his wedding morning in consequence of the interference of some lady who
had a hold upon him."

"Yes, that is what we thought," said Guest sadly.

"And then tried to commit suicide out of misery and shame?"

"Yes, I have been able to get no further, poor fellow. He is utterly
dumb, as soon as I try to get anything from him."

"What does that friend of his--that Mr Brettison say?"

"Mr Brettison? I have not seen him."

"Why not? He has known Mr Stratton many years. You should have
consulted him, and tried to find out from him what might have happened
in days gone by."

"I did think of that."

"And did not act?"

"I have had no chance. Mr Brettison is out of town. I have not seen
him since the wed--"

"Ah!" cried Miss Jerrold warningly.

"Since that unhappy day."

"On that day?"

"No. It was a day or two before, but I think I heard Stratton say Mr
Brettison came to see him that day, and that he was going out of town."

"Humph! That's strange!"

"Why?" said Guest.

"He was very fon