"Hum!" he said, thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling; "you have made out a very strong case against this Maltese wife I must confess; but the evidence is surely circumstantial." "But who else would have done it?" "A man might have committed the crime." "But with what motive?" "Because he was told to do so." "But I don't see----" "Of course you don't," said Foster coolly; "but I will explain, from what you have told me, Mrs. Ventin--we will call her so as we do not know her real name--must have been a woman of very strong passions. Now is it likely that such a woman would remain faithful to her husband? No; I am sure she would not. Depend upon it, she had lovers, or else married again. In the latter case, she might have committed the crime herself, as husbands are not fond of endangering their necks for wives, however pretty; but if she had lovers, depend upon it one of them committed the murder for her sake." "That's all very well," said Ronald impatiently; "we must not be content with vague speculations but get a clue. Now, how are we to start?" "I think the idea of Captain Templeton is best," said Foster, thoughtfully, "to look up the divorce case." "You do not remember it?" "Not I; there are dozens of divorce cases every year--we are such a moral nation, you know. I can't keep them all in my head; but I will look it up." "And then?" "Then I will see the solicitors who had the case in hand, and ask all about Ventin; you knew the man, they knew him, and if your descriptions tally, we will soon establish his identity." "So far so good," said Ronald, impatiently; "but what follows?" "Then we must find out where this Maltese wife is----" "In Malta," said Ronald, abruptly. "She might not be, by the time we find out her husband's real name," said the barrister coolly; "don't hurry my dear toy; but when we discover where she is, we must set a detective on her to find out her movements on that night when the murder was committed; if she can account for them satisfactorily your theory must fall to the ground." "But if she can't?" Foster shrugged his shoulders. "Then we must be guided by circumstances; we can hardly arrest a woman on the existing evidence; it's a very difficult case, and we must be careful." "When will you look up this divorce case?" "To-day, and let you know all about it to-morrow; meanwhile, you had better come and lunch at my club." "Thank you very much," said Ronald, blushing; "if you will let me away immediately afterwards. I have to make a call." "Certainly," replied Foster, glancing at his companion's tell-tale face as they went out; "I'll bet he's going to see a woman," he thought, looking at Monteith. "What a transparently honest man he is." CHAPTER IX. VERSCHOYLE V. VERSCHOYLE AND MACGREGOR.