He took up the letter and held it towards her. Then suddenly he paused, and sharply withdrawing it, he placed it on a table beside him, and laid his hand upon it. She saw a flash of quick resolution in his face, and her own pulses gave a throb. "Miss Fountain, will you excuse my detaining you for a moment? I have been thinking much about this old man's story, and the possible explanation of it. It struck me in a very singular way. As you know, I have never paid much attention to the ghost story here--we have never before had a testimony so direct. Is it possible--that you might throw some light upon it? You left us, you remember, after dinner. Did you by chance go into the garden?--the evening was tempting, I think. If so, your memory might possibly recall to you some--slight thing." "Yes," she said, after a moment's hesitation, "I did go into the garden." His eye gleamed. He came a step nearer. "Did you see or hear anything--to explain what happened?" She did not answer for a moment. She made a vague movement, as though to recover her letter--looked curiously into a glass case that stood beside her, containing a few Stuart relics and autographs. Then, with absolute self-possession, she turned and confronted him, one hand resting on the glass case. "Yes; I can explain it all. I was the ghost!" There was a moment's silence. A smile--a smile that she winced under, showed itself on Helbeck's lip. "I imagined as much," he said quietly. She stood there, torn by different impulses. Then a passion of annoyance with herself, and anger with him, descended on her. "Now perhaps you would like to know why I concealed it?" she said, with all the dignity she could command. "Simply, because I had gone out to meet and say good-bye to a person--who is my relation--whom I cannot meet in this house, and against whom there is here an unreasonable--" She hesitated; then resumed, leaning obstinately on the words--"Yes! take it all in all, it _is_ an unreasonable prejudice." "You mean Mr. Hubert Mason?" She nodded. "You think it an unreasonable prejudice after what happened the other night?" She wavered. "I don't want to defend what happened the other night," she said, while her voice shook. Helbeck observed her carefully. There was a great decision in his manner, and at the same time a fine courtesy. "You knew, then, that he was to be in the park? Forgive my questions. They are not mere curiosity." "Perhaps not," she said indifferently. "But I think I have told you all that needs to be told. May I have my letter?" She stepped forward.