He gave her his arm and led her out to the waiting motor. As he came out of the gate Tom Hayhurst, who had been dawdling about for him for the past half-hour, stepped quickly forward; then seeing who was with him stopped abruptly, and drew back. But Mrs Lawless had seen and recognised him. "Mr Hayhurst!" she exclaimed, in a voice of surprise, and held out her hand. "You were going to cut me," she said, as he came forward again. He laughed self-consciously. He was a fool for harbouring malice. Whatever part she had played in the matter of his broken head, she was an alluringly beautiful woman, and that in his opinion excused a great deal. "Pardon!" he returned. "I was merely diffident as to my welcome." She suddenly smiled. "I rather suspect," she said, "that you are accustomed to being forgiven. I haven't any faith in your diffidence." Hayhurst opened the door of the car for her and she got in. "How is it you are not in evening dress? If you had been I would have taken you on to the subscription dance, which is where you ought to be, instead of hanging about other people's doorways." "If I'd only known sooner..." he murmured regretfully. She looked at Colonel Grey, who, grave and silent, stood behind the younger man. "Can I drop you anywhere?" she asked. "Thank you, no," he answered. "I've an engagement with Mr Lawless at his hotel." Mrs Lawless started. "He hasn't come, sir," she heard Tom Hayhurst saying. And then, in reply to an inaudible question: "I met the train. He wasn't there. Van Bleit came by it." There was a muttered exclamation from the Colonel, and Hayhurst added: "Yes! I don't like the look of it myself." "Well, tell me presently." The words were spoken as a caution. Mrs Lawless leaned forward over the door, the light of the street lamp shining on her white face. "Tell him now," she said in a low voice. "I want to hear." Hayhurst stared back at her. "There's nothing to tell," he stammered. "We expected Lawless by the train this evening... He didn't come. That's all." "Where is he?" she asked. "At Kraaifontein." She thought for a moment. "And Karl Van Bleit was at Kraaifontein too?" "Yes... He's back now." Mrs Lawless looked straight into the Colonel's eyes. "He got the letters for you," she said, and he knew that she referred to Lawless though she did not utter his name. "Yes." For the life of him the Colonel could think of nothing further to say. He was aware that the same suspicion that was in his own mind was in hers; and he had no reassurance to offer. He could find no word to supplement his bald affirmative. The pause lengthened. "Another life!" she whispered... "I always felt--" She touched Tom Hayhurst's sleeve. "Tell him to drive home," she said, and sat back in her seat. Colonel Grey stepped quickly to the door. "Don't worry," he said... "I'm going up to-morrow... I'll let you know immediately."