There was a knock at the door: the discreet man-servant brought a card, with the silence and confidential manner of one who announces a secret emissary--say a hired assassin. The visitor was Mr. Jagenal. He came in friendly and expansive. 'My dear boy!' he said with a warm grasp. 'Always at work--always at work?' Alec dexterously swept the letters into an open drawer. 'Always at work,' he said. 'But I must be hard pressed when I cannot give you five minutes. What is it?' 'I will come to the point at once. You know Mrs. Elstree very well, I believe?' 'Very well indeed--I knew her before her father's failure. Before her marriage.' 'Quite so. Then what do you make of this?' He handed over a note, which the other man read: 'Dear Sir,--Unexpected circumstances have made it necessary for me to give up my charge of Armorel Rosevean at once. I have not even been able to wait a single day. I have been compelled to leave her without even wishing her farewell.--Very truly yours, Zoe Elstree.' 'It is very odd,' he said truthfully. 'I know nothing of these circumstances. I cannot tell you why she has resigned.' 'Oh! I thought I would ask you! Well, she has actually gone: she has vanished: she has left the girl quite alone. This is all very irregular, isn't it? Not quite what one expects of a lady, is it?' 'Very irregular indeed. Well, I am responsible for her introduction to you, and I will find out, if I can, what it means. She is coming here to-day, she writes: no doubt to give me her reasons. What will Miss Rosevean do?' 'Oh! she is an independent girl. She tells me that she has found a young lady about her own age, and they are going to live together. Alec, I don't quite understand why you thought Mrs. Elstree so likely a person for companion. Philippa tells me that she has no friends, and we appointed her because we thought she had so many.' 'Pleasing--attractive--accomplished--what more did you want? And as for friends, she must have had plenty.' 'But it seems she had none. Nobody has ever called upon her. And she never went into any society. Are you sure that you were not misled about her, my dear boy? I have heard, for instance, rumours about her and the provincial stage.' 'Oh! rumours are nothing. I don't think I could have been mistaken in her. However, she has gone. I will find out why. As for Armorel Rosevean----' 'Alec--what a splendid girl! Was there no chance there for you? Are you so critical that even Armorel is not good enough for you?' 'Not my style,' he said shortly. 'Never mind the girl.' 'Well--there is one more thing, Alec--and a more pleasant subject--about yourself. I want to ask you one or two questions--family questions.' 'I thought you knew all about my family.' 'So I do, pretty well. However--this is really important--most important. I wouldn't waste your time if it was not important. Do you remember your great-aunt Eleanor Fletcher?' 'Very well. She left all her money to charities--Cat!'