“Well, no, I’m not.” “You have arrested me, haven’t you?” The prisoner made his point quietly, as though moved by a quite impersonal curiosity. “Yes.” The Duke hesitated again, and again decided that the bluffing policy would be too risky. “Since I signed the warrant, I’ve seen the Prime Minister. I tendered him my resignation, of course.” Alistair began to look ever so little interested. “I never thought you would do that,” he confessed. “I don’t suppose you thought anything about it, one way or the other,” Trent retorted, with some bitterness. “You never do think of me--or your mother--do you?” The prisoner straightened himself up for an instant. “Oh, yes. It is difficult not to think of one’s enemies sometimes.” Honest astonishment came into Trent’s look and mien. “Enemies! Your mother and I! What do you mean? If I were to call you my enemy, I should have some reason. The worst enmity I have ever shown you has been to give you a thousand a year, and to offer to pay your debts.” “Yes, on conditions,” Alistair reminded him. But he did not speak with any appearance of resentment. The elder brother’s warmth had failed to rouse any answering warmth in the younger. “On conditions which, as you must now admit, were for your own good. At least, I suppose that you are not prepared to defend that wretched woman any longer.” “Silence!” Alistair had nearly sprung out of his chair. “Say whatever you like about me, I shan’t resent it; but leave Molly alone, please.” Trent looked as bewildered as he felt. “You know, don’t you?” he began. Alistair cut him short. “I know she has just done the greatest thing that any woman can do for a man. She loved me, she was married to me, she saw that I loved another woman, and she has deliberately set me free to marry her. By heavens! I should like to know how many of your Christian women would do as much as that!” Trent was staggered. Like the Duchess, he had overlooked the fact that Molly Finucane was really an ally. Perhaps, if they had been wiser, Lady Alistair might have been made to take a different view of the situation in the past. But now it was too late. He dared not risk a direct question about Hero. “Well, you can’t marry anyone else yet,” he said, not very delicately. “The question is, what are you going to do?” “Isn’t it what are you going to do? I am still under arrest, I believe.” Trent fell back on his papers again. “I told you I had seen the Prime Minister. He is willing to let the matter be hushed up, out of consideration for me.” After all, he had ventured on a bluff; and, after all, it did not come off. Alistair merely smiled. “I am not a fool, Trent, you know. I have never seriously supposed that I ran any danger of being hanged, drawn and quartered. So the resignation has been withdrawn?” “It was declined,” the Minister corrected. “But if the papers get hold of the business, I shall have to go--for a time, at all events.” Alistair seemed genuinely concerned.