“Yes, if he _is_ your husband,” Zizi jeered, and saw again that Molly’s greatest fear was that the wedding had not been a real one. Therefore, Zizi argued, there had been a ceremony and why would it have taken place except to shut Molly’s mouth? And who could have been the bridegroom except the one interested in suppressing Molly’s secret, whatever it might be? “Clear out, Molly,” said Wise, suddenly. “Don’t clear far, for if you try to leave this house you’ll be arrested. Merely go about your work as usual, and say nothing to anybody. If you’ll take my advice you’ll run pretty straight, for I don’t mind telling you you’re in deep waters!” “It’s a bad lookout, Ziz,” said Wise after Molly had gone; “any way you take it it comes back to either the Pralls or the Everetts. There’s no other bunch of women implicated. I’ve been into everything thoroughly and if we go by that written message of Binney’s,—and how can we ignore it?—we’ve got to get women, and the women are the——” “The Everetts,” said Zizi moodily. “Oh, no, the Pralls!” “When you say the Pralls, you mean Miss Letitia and Miss Gurney, I suppose.” “Rather Miss Gurney and Miss Letitia. If they did it, the Gurney woman struck the blow at the bidding of the other. If the Everetts did it, the Holland woman stabbed at the order of her mistress. But I incline to the Pralls, and that explains Bates’ anxiety to shield his aunt.” “He’d be equally desirous of shielding his sweetheart’s people, but in any case, I can’t believe _he_ married Molly, either really or by a fake ceremony.” “It isn’t like the chap,—he’s an all-round straight one; but he’s young, and in a desperate emergency,—well, anyway, things must be brought to a head. I’m going for Bates now.” The detective found his quarry and asked him for an interview. The two men went into a small reception-room on the ground floor and Wise closed the door. “There’s no use in my going on, Mr Bates,” he began, “unless you want to see the thing through to a finish. I must tell you the evidences are pointing to women,—whom you would be sorry to see accused.” “I know—I know——” and Richard bowed his head in his hands and groaned. “It isn’t my aunt, I’m positive of that. I’ve not only satisfied myself by confidential talks with her, but I’ve proved it by definite facts and testimony of servants and others. Now, I suppose you hold that the only other possibility is——” “Yes, I’m obliged to think that. I know what you mean, and this is no time to be squeamish. We both mean Mrs Everett and her maid, Kate. If there were any doubt about the written paper,——”