“Both of you!” she answered. And it was so, for in the corner of the picture was Penwiper. THE CASE OF THE EVANSTONS IV THE CASE OF THE EVANSTONS Carty Carteret went into the club one June afternoon with the expectation of finding Braybrooke there, and selling him a horse. Braybrooke was not in the club, but Mr. Carteret came upon three men sitting in the bow-window. They had their backs to the avenue, and were apparently absorbed in discussion. As he approached, Van Cortlandt, who was speaking, glanced up and stopped. At the same moment Mr. Carteret drew back. They were not men with whom he cared to assume the familiarity of intrusion. “Sit down, Carty,” said Shaw. Mr. Carteret hesitated, and Shaw rose and drew another chair into the circle. “Go on with the story,” he said to Van Cortlandt. “I dare say Carty has heard it,” observed Van Cortlandt, apologetically, as he was about to resume his narrative; “he’s a pal of Ned’s.” Mr. Carteret looked at him inquiringly. “I was telling them about the Evanston affair,” said Van Cortlandt. Mr. Carteret opened his cigarette-case and took out a cigarette. “What is the Evanston affair?” he said shortly. He was more interested than he cared to show. “They’ve caught Ned Palfrey,” said Crowninshield, with a laugh. Mr. Carteret turned to Van Cortlandt. “What do you mean?” he said. “It’s a fact,” said Van Cortlandt. “It seems that last Thursday Frank Evanston came home unexpectedly, and found Ned there. Exactly what happened no one knows, but the story is that the gardener and a footman threw Neddie out of the house and into the fountain.” Mr. Carteret threw away his cigarette, and straightened himself in his chair. “And they say,” observed Crowninshield, “that his last words were, ‘Come on in, Frank; the water’s fine.’” There was a general laugh in which Mr. Carteret did not join. “Is that all?” he asked. “That’s the cream of it,” replied Van Cortlandt. “The rest is purely conventional--separation and divorce proceedings.” “That’s an interesting story,” said Mr. Carteret, calmly, “but untrue.” “How do you know?” said Shaw. “Because,” he answered, “on Thursday, Ned Palfrey was at my house in the country.” “Dates are immaterial,” said Crowninshield. “Very likely it was Wednesday or Friday.” “I say,” said Van Cortlandt, “I’ll bet you even, Crowny, it was Friday as against Wednesday.” “I’ll take that,” said Crowninshield; “but how shall we settle it?” “Leave it to Ned,” said Van Cortlandt. There was another laugh. “In the second place,” continued Mr. Carteret, disregarding the interruption, “I know for a fact that last evening the Evanstons were still living together in the country.” “Well, I know there is going to be a divorce,” said Van Cortlandt. “I got that from a member of Emerson Whittlesea’s firm, and he’s Evanston’s lawyer.” “A lawyer who would tell a thing like that ought to be disbarred,” said Mr. Carteret. “If I could find out who it is, I should try to have it done.”