right to interfere," she said dully. "If I chose to accept
what he had to give, it was my business. There never had been over-much
affection between you and me. We were just waifs together. Life wouldn't
give us what we wanted. I had made up my mind months before to escape
whenever the opportunity came. Douglas brought it to me and I snatched at
it. I am not accepting any blame."

He leaned towards her.

"Neither am I," he declared. "Do you remember we used to talk about the
doctrine of responsibility? I am a pervert. I did what I had to do, and
I am content."

She stood quite still for several moments. Then she took out the pins
from her hat, banged it upon the table, opened her tweed coat, came round
to the fireside, and threw herself into an easy-chair. Her action was
portentous and significant.

"Tell me how you found me out?" he asked, after a brief pause.

"I was dismissed from Detton Magna," she told him. "I had to go and
be waiting-maid to Aunt Esther at Croydon. I took the place of her
maid-of-all-work. I scrubbed for my living. There wasn't anything else. I
hadn't clothes to try for the bolder things, not a friend in the world,
but I was only waiting. I meant, at the first chance, to rob Aunt Esther,
to come to London, dress myself properly, and find a post on the stage,
if possible. I wasn't particular. Then one day a man came to see me--an
American. He'd travelled all the way from New York because he was
interested in what he called the mysterious Romilly disappearance. He
knew that I had been Douglas' friend. He asked me to come out and
identify--you! He offered me my passage, a hundred pounds, and to give me
a start in life here, if I needed it. So I came out with him."

"With Dane," he muttered.

She nodded.

"Yes, that was his name--Mr. Edward Dane. I came out to identify
Douglas."

"You weren't going to give him away?" Philip asked curiously.

"Of course not. I should have made my bargain, and then, after I had
scared Douglas for leaving me as he did, I should have said that it
wasn't the man. And instead--I found you!"

He tapped the table with his fingers, restlessly. A new hope was forming
in his brain. This, indeed, might be the end of all his troubles.

"Listen," he said earnestly, "Dane has always suspected me. Sometimes I
have wondered whether he hadn't the truth at the back of his head. You
can make me safe forever."

She made no reply. Her eyes were watching his face. She seemed