a moment a deep silence fell over the room. Brent felt his brows
drawing together in a frown--the sort of frown that spreads over a man's
face when he tries to think quickly and clearly over a problem
unexpectedly presented to him. Hawthwaite folded his arms across his
braided tunic, stared at the ceiling, and whistled softly. He was the
first to speak.

"Oh, oh!" he said. "Um! So that's--But she'd have some proof, doctor,
for an assertion of that sort? Not mere guess-work?"

"I'm afraid there's no guess-work about it," said Wellesley. "It's not a
pleasant matter to discuss, but that's unavoidable now. This is what
Mrs. Mallett told Wallingford and myself; Mrs. Mallett, as you know, is
a downright, plain-spoken woman, with strong views of her own, and she's
just the sort to go through with a thing. Some little time ago she
found, evidently through Mallett's carelessness, a receipt for a very
valuable diamond ring from a London jeweller, a lady's ring. This, of
course, aroused her suspicions, and without saying anything to her
husband she determined to have his movements watched. She knew that
Mallett was frequently going away for a day at a time, ostensibly on
business connected with the bank, and she employed a private inquiry
agent to watch him. This man followed Mallett from Hathelsborough to
Clothford one morning, and from Clothford station to the Royal County
Hotel, where, in the lounge, he was joined by Mrs. Saumarez, who had
been previously pointed out to the agent here in Hathelsborough, and who
had evidently cycled over to Clothford. She and Mallett lunched at the
Royal County in a private room and spent the greater part of the
afternoon there; the same thing occurred on two other occasions. So then
Mrs. Mallett came to me and to Wallingford."

"Why to you?" demanded Brent.

"I think," replied Wellesley, with a forced smile, "she may have had a
womanish feeling of revenge, knowing that Wallingford and myself
had--well, both paid a good deal of attention to Mrs. Saumarez. But
there were other reasons--Mrs. Mallett has few friends in the town; I
was her medical attendant, and she and Wallingford frequently met each
other on one or two committees--Mrs. Mallett took a good deal of
interest in social affairs. Anyway, she came and confided in us about
this."

"I suppose you and Wallingford discussed it?" suggested Brent.

"Yes," replied Wellesley. "Briefly, on the night before his death."

"Was that the reaso