“Well, did you ever! Gwendolin, what have we here?” “What I’d like to know,” cried Mrs. Banning, yielding suddenly to tears, “is what you’ve done with Arabella!” The mention of Arabella precipitated a wild fusillade of questions and replies. She had been kidnapped, Mrs. Banning charged in tragic tones, and Tracy Banning should be brought to book for it. “You knew the courts would give her to me and it was you who lured her away and hid her. This contemptible little Coningsby was your ideal of a husband for Arabella, to further your own schemes with his father. I knew it all the time! And you planned to meet him here, with this creature, in your own house! And he’s admitted that you’ve been dining with her. It’s too much! It’s more than I should be asked to suffer, after all--after all--I’ve--borne!” “Look here, Mrs. Lady; creature is a name I won’t stand for!” flamed Zaliska. “If you’ll all stop making a rotten fuss----” wheezed Coningsby. “If we can all be reasonable beings for a few minutes----” began the Bishop. Before they could finish their sentences Gadsby leaped to the doorway, through which Farrington was stealthily creeping, and dragged him back. “It seems to me,” said the detective, depositing Farrington, cowed and frightened, in the center of the group, which closed tightly about him, “that it’s about time this bird was giving an account of himself. Everybody in the room was called here by a fake telegram, and I’m positive this is the scoundrel who sent ’em.” “He undoubtedly enticed us here for the purpose of robbery,” said Senator Banning; “and the sooner we land him in jail the better.” “If you’ll let me explain----” began Farrington, whose bedraggled appearance was little calculated to inspire confidence. “We’ve already had too many explanations!” declared Mrs. Banning. “In all my visits to jails and penitentiaries I’ve rarely seen a man with a worse face than the prisoner’s. I shouldn’t be at all surprised if he turned out to be a murderer.” “Rubbish!” sniffed Miss Collingwood. “He looks like somebody’s chauffeur who’s been joy-rolling in the mud.” The truth would never be believed. Farrington resolved to lie boldly. “I was on my way to Lenox and missed the road. I entered these grounds merely to make inquiries and get some gasoline. This man you call Gadsby assaulted me and dragged me in here; and, as I have nothing to do with any of you or your troubles, I protest against being detained longer.” Gadsby’s derisive laugh expressed the general incredulity. “You didn’t say anything to me about gasoline! You were prowling round the house, and when I nabbed you you tried to bolt. I guess we’ll just hold on to you until we find out who sent all those fake telegrams.” “We’ll hold on to him until we find out who’s kidnapped Arabella!” declared Mrs. Banning. “That’s a happy suggestion, Fanny,” affirmed the Senator, for the first time relaxing his severity toward his wife.