“Yes, there is such an one in the house. Will you wait?” She left the room. “We should have told the girl about Spedding--we should have told her,” said Angel in despair. “It’s no use crying over spilt milk,” said Jimmy quietly. “The thing to do now is to frustrate Spedding and rescue the girl.” “Will he dare----?” “He’ll dare. Oh, yes, he’ll dare,” said Jimmy. “He’s worse than you think, Angel.” “But he is already a ruined man.” “The more reason why he should go a step further. He’s been on the verge of ruin for months, I’ve found that out. I made inquiries the other day, and discovered he’s in a hole that the dome of St. Paul’s wouldn’t fill. He’s a trustee or something of the sort for an association that has been pressing him for money. Spedding will dare anything”--he paused then--“but if he dares to harm that girl he’s a dead man.” The old lady came in at that moment with the book, and Jimmy hastily turned over the pages. Near the end he came upon something that brought a gleam to his eye. He thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out a notebook. He did not wait to pull up a chair, but sank on his knees by the side of the table and wrote rapidly, comparing the text with the drawings in the book. Angel, leaning over, followed the work breathlessly. “There--and there--and there!” cried Angel exultantly. “What fools we were, Jimmy, what fools we were.” Jimmy turned to the lady. “May I borrow this book?” he asked. “It will be returned. Thank you. Now, Angel,” he looked at his watch and made a move for the door, “we have two hours. We will take the Tonbridge Road by daybreak.” Only one other person did they disturb on that eventful night, and that was a peppery old Colonel of Marines, who lived at Blackheath. There, before the hastily-attired old officer, as the dawn broke, Angel explained his mission, and writing with feverish haste, subscribed to the written statement by oath. Whereupon the Justice of the Peace issued a warrant for the arrest of Joseph James Spedding, Solicitor, on a charge of felony. CHAPTER XII WHAT HAPPENED AT FLAIRBY MILL Kathleen very naturally regarded the lawyer in the light of a disinterested friend. There was no reason why she should not do so; and if there had been any act needed to kindle a kindly feeling for the distant legal adviser it was this last act of his, for no sooner, as he told her, had he discovered by the merest accident a clue to the hidden word, than he had rushed off post-haste to put her in possession of his information. He had naturally advised immediate action, and when she demurred at the lateness of the hour at which to begin a hunt for the book, he had hinted vaguely at difficulties which would beset her if she delayed. She wanted to let Angel know, and Jimmy, but this the lawyer would not hear of, and she accounted for the insistence of his objection by the cautiousness of the legal mind.