terrace in the direction of the consulting trio. Chase and
Britt silently watched his progress. They saw him join the others,
neither of whom seemed to be confused or upset by his appearance, and
subsequently enter into the discussion that had been going on.

"Just the same, Chase," said Britt, after a long silence, "he's worried,
and not about marriage or divorce, either. He's jealous. I didn't
believe it was in him."

"See here, Britt, you've no right to stir him up with those confounded
remarks about divorce. You know that it's rot. Don't do it."

"My dear Chase," said Britt, waving his hand serenely, "we can't always
see what's in the air, but, by the Eternal, we usually can feel it.
'Nough said. Give you my word, I can't help laughing at the position
you're in at present. It doesn't matter what you get onto in connection
with our side of the case, you're where you can't take advantage of it
without getting killed by your own clients. Horrible paradox, eh?"

When Deppingham rejoined them, he was pale and very nervous. His wife,
who had been weeping, came up with him, while Browne went off toward the
stables with the ex-banker.

"What do you think has happened?" demanded his lordship, addressing the
two men, who stood by, irresolutely. "Somebody's trying to poison us!"

"What!" from both listeners.

"I've said it all along. Now, we know! Lady Deppingham's dog is
dead--poisoned, gentlemen." He was wiping the moisture from his brow.

"I'm sorry, Lady Deppingham," said Chase earnestly. "He was a nice dog.
But I hardly think he could have eaten what was intended for any of us.
If he was poisoned, the poison was meant for him and for no one else. He
bit one of the stable boys yesterday. It--"

"That may all be very true, Chase," protested his lordship, "but don't
you see, it goes to show that some one has a stock of poison on hand,
and we may be the next to get it. He died half an hour after
eating--after eating a biscuit that was intended for _me_! It's--it's
demmed uncomfortable, to say the least."

"Mr. Bowles has been questioning the servants," said Lady Agnes
miserably.

"Of course," said Chase philosophically, "it's much better that Pong
should have got it than Lord Deppingham. By the way, who gave him the
biscuit?"

"Bromley. She tossed it to him and he--he caught it so cleverly. You
know how cunning he was, Mr. Chase. I loved to see him catch--"

"Then Bromley has saved your life, Deppingham," said