"As I understand matters, Irishman, there is no real difference between you and me except in the matter of a certain lady. Otherwise we might combine our forces in the interest of these unhappy Holbrooks." "You are quite right. You came here to say something; go on and be done with it." He deftly covered another biscuit with the cheese, of whose antiquity he complained sadly. "I say, Donovan, between old soldier friends, what were you doing up there on the creek last night?" "Studying the landscape effects by starlight. It's a habit of mine. Your own presence there might need accounting for, if you don't mind." "I will be square about it. I met Helen quite accidentally as I left this house, and she wanted to see her father. I took her over there, and we found Henry. He was up to some mischief--you may know what it was. Something had gone wrong with him, and he was in all kinds of a bad humor. Unfortunately, you got the benefit of some of it." "I will supply you a link in the night's affairs. Henry had been to see his brother Arthur." Gillespie's face fell, and I saw that he was greatly surprised. "Humph! Helen didn't tell me that." "The reason Henry came here was to look for his brother. That's how he reached this place ahead of Miss Pat and Helen. And I have learned something--it makes no difference how, but it was not from the ladies at St. Agatha's--I learned last night that the key of this whole situation is in your own hands, Gillespie. Your father was swindled by the Holbrooks; which Holbrook?" He was at once sane and serious, and replied soberly: "I never doubted that it was Arthur. If he wasn't guilty, why did he run away? It was a queer business, and father never mentioned it. Henry gave out the impression that my father had taken advantage of Holbrook Brothers and forced their failure; but father shut up and never told me anything." "But you have the notes--" "Yes, but I'm not to open them, yet. I can't tell you about that now." He grew red and played with his cravat. "Where are they?" I asked. "I've just had them sent to me; they're in the bank at Annandale. There's another thing you may not know. Old man Holbrook, who lived to be older than the hills, left a provision in his will that adds to the complications. Miss Pat may have mentioned that stuff in her father's will about the honor of the brothers--?" "She just mentioned it. Please tell me what you know of it." He took out his pocket-book and read me this paragraph from a newspaper cutting: