door opened and Rendel finally came in, the moment brought a sort of relief. Rendel, on the other hand, when he saw Sir William looking so old, so white and feeble, suddenly felt his purpose arrested. It was impossible, surely, that this old man, with the worn, handsome face and pathetically anxious expression, could have had a hand in a diabolical machination, and the thought that it was unlikely came to him with a gleam of comfort. Then as quick as lightning came a reaction of wonderment as to what hypothesis was to take the place of this one. At any rate, there was only one thing to be done: to tell Gore the story without a moment's further delay. "Good morning, Sir William," he said. "I am sorry to hear you are not well this morning." "Not very," Gore said, trying to speak calmly, and involuntarily looking at the newspaper in Rendel's hand. "I hear you were asking for the _Arbiter_," Rendel said. "Yes, I should like to see it," Gore replied, "when you have done with it." "I want you to see it," Rendel said. "There is something in it which matters a great deal." Gore felt a sudden grip at his heart. He said nothing. "Here it is," said Rendel, and he handed him the paper, folded so as to show the startling headings in big letters and the rough facsimile of the map. Gore looked at it. The whole thing swam before his eyes; he held it for a moment, trying desperately to think what he had better say, but he could find no anchorage anywhere. "That is very surprising," he said finally. "As far as I can see, it's--it's a partition of Africa between England and Germany? Is that it? I can't see very well this morning." "That is it," said Rendel. "Yes, that is very important," Gore said, leaning back and letting the paper slide from his grasp. "Most important," and he was silent again, waiting in an agony of suspense for what Rendel's next words would be. Rendel, scarcely less agitated, was trying to choose them carefully. "I am very sorry," he began, "to have to tire and worry you about this when you are not well, but I have a particular reason for talking to you about it." "Pray go on," Gore managed to say under his breath. "I have a special reason," said Rendel, "for wanting to remember what happened in my study yesterday afternoon." "Yesterday afternoon?" said Gore. "Did anything particular happen?" "That is what I want to know," said Rendel, trying to speak calmly and quietly. "You will oblige me very much if you will try to remember exactly what happened all the time, from the moment you came into the room until you left it." Gore made an effort to pull himself together. There was no difficulty, alas! for him in remembering every single thing that had taken place--the difficulty was not to show that he remembered too well. "When I came in," he said, endeavouring to speak in an ordinary tone, "you were at your writing-table." "I was," said Rendel, watching him.