“Why are you here to-night?” she whispered. “Has anything of importance happened?” “A great deal,” Lane whispered back. “It was not till the last moment I made up my mind to come, but certain things happened which rendered it necessary to hasten matters. I have not time to tell you now, it would take too long. Slip down to my office to-morrow morning as early as you can.” Much wondering, the girl promised she would be there as near ten o’clock as possible. “And just one last word, Miss Sheldon. I have told your uncle that young Brookes has been sponging on Mrs. Morrice, and much has been found out. But your name has not been brought in. Forget all about that conversation you told me of. Best, if your uncle should question you to-night or to-morrow, to dismiss it from your mind, to appear surprised as you would have been if you had never overheard it. I will explain to-morrow. Good-night. I will not stop a second longer; he might come out any moment and surprise us.” Restless and impatient for that to-morrow, the girl’s sleep was little less broken than her uncle’s. What was Lane going to tell her? Was he going to be perfectly frank after all? She was there a little before the time appointed, but Lane was disengaged and saw her at once. He made a clean breast of it this time, and told her everything that had happened from the beginning of his investigations. “I may as well tell you that I went over to Mr. Croxton the other day and told him all that I knew. And I am afraid you will never forgive me, Miss Sheldon, when you know that I made it a condition of my confidence that he should keep it to himself till I removed the embargo. But I had my reasons, reasons which I can’t very well explain and which, I am sure, would be unconvincing to you.” Rosabelle was very shocked at her aunt’s duplicity and disgusted when she learned the truth about Archie Brookes. But she was not so preoccupied with the emotions to which his recital gave rise as not to be more than a little hurt that Lane had kept her in the dark longer than anybody else. “I suppose the truth is you have a contempt for women, and place no trust in them?” she said resentfully. The detective made the most diplomatic answer he could in the circumstances, apparently with a satisfactory result. Anyway, they parted good friends. CHAPTER XXII HUSBAND AND WIFE Morrice stayed in the next day waiting for the return of his wife from her country visit. She was to arrive home in time for lunch. About twelve o’clock Rosabelle came into his room; she had just returned from her visit to Lane. “Oh, uncle, there is a strange young man in the hall with a letter for auntie. He says his instructions are to give it into her own hands. He was told that she would be back before lunch-time, and he said he would wait. He seems rather mysterious. Would you like to see him?”