"You do!" said Gray, in amazement. "Go to Egypt?" "Yes, I don't see why not. I'd like the trip, and it would take my mind off these horrors. Our passage is booked for a February sailing. If necessary I will postpone it a few weeks, but I see no reason why I shouldn't go. Do you?" "No," said Haviland, slowly. Hardy seemed about to speak and then thought better of it, and said nothing. "Of course I shall not go," began Anita, and Pauline interrupted her with: "You go! I should say not! Why should you?" "Why shouldn't I, if I choose?" returned Anita, and her pink cheeks burned rosy. "I am my own mistress, I have my own money. I am as free to go as you are." "Of course you are," said Pauline, coldly. "Only please advise me on what steamer you are sailing." "That you may take another," and Anita laughed shortly. "But I may prefer to go on the one you do. Aren't you rather suddenly anxious to leave this country?" Pauline faced her. "Anita Frayne," she said, "if you suspect me of crime, I would rather you said so definitely, than to fling out these continual innuendoes. Do you?" "I couldn't say that Pauline. But there are,--there certainly are some things to be explained regarding your interview with your aunt on Tuesday night. You know, I heard you in her room." "Your speech, Anita, is that of a guilty conscience. As you well know, I saw you come from her room at the hour you accuse me of being there." "Let up, girls," said Haviland; "you only make trouble by that sort of talk." "But when an innocent man is arrested, Pauline ought to tell what she knows!" "I have told, and it seems to implicate you!" The impending scene was averted by Haviland, who insisted on knowing what word should be sent to Loria. "May as well get it off," he said; "it takes long enough to get word back and forth to him, anyway. What shall I say for you, Polly?" "Tell him to come over or not, just as he prefers, but that I shall be quite content if he does not care to come; and that I shall go to Egypt as soon as I can arrange to do so. Put it into shape yourself,--you know more about cabling than I do." Haviland went away to the library, and Hardy followed. "Look here, Mr. Haviland," said the latter, "what do these ladies mean by accusing each other of all sorts of things? Did either of them have any hand in this murder?" "Not in a thousand years!" declared Gray, emphatically. "The girls never loved each other, but lately, even before the death of Miss Lucy, they have been at daggers drawn. I don't know why, I'm sure!" "But what do you make of this story of Miss Frayne's about hearing Miss Stuart in her aunt's room?" "She didn't hear her. I mean she didn't hear Miss Stuart; what she heard was Miss Carrington talking to herself. The old lady was erratic in lots of ways." "Why do you all say the old lady? She wasn't really old." "About fifty. But she tried so hard to appear young, that it made her seem older."