Mrs. Edwards smiled. “Although I did not particularly like the man, I had no grudge against him, and we always got on comfortably together, and I should not care to do him a bad turn. But I think now I can answer that question without doing him any harm. He had practically no legal business, but he acted for the organization in cases where they wanted advice. He was actually a money-lender, and having got his articles when a young man, before he took to a life of crime, set up as a solicitor in order to present a more respectable appearance. I believe he made a great deal of money that way.” “And I suppose you know how he and Stormont became first acquainted?” Mrs. Edwards was perfectly frank about the matter. “Whitehouse and he met originally in Australia. Whitehouse had been affiliated to a rather high-class gang for some time, and I suppose he recognized in Stormont a very promising recruit. They engaged in some enterprises there, and Stormont got into trouble. When he came out of prison he returned to England and hunted up his old friend. In due course, Stormont became a leading member of the organization. I was one of his assistants, and I am sure he had several others. But he was a very cautious man, in spite of his bluff and genial manners, and he never allowed us to know much of each other. He and Whitehouse directed affairs in their own particular branch.” Grewgus was feeling very well satisfied with the result of the interview. The candour of the fascinating young woman had led her actually to confirm his different discoveries and suspicions. There was one other matter, however, on which he wished to obtain further enlightenment. “The affair with Hugh Craig at Nice, was Stormont at the back of that?” Mrs. Edwards did not appear to answer quite as readily as before. “Yes, it was he who first set me upon it. He knew that Craig, although not a wealthy man, had some money.” “And you were married to Edwards at the time, of course?” was the detective’s next question. “Not at the time I first met Craig. Our marriage came later. But, as I told you, we lived only occasionally together. The exigencies of our calling rendered it necessary for us to be apart the best part of our married life.” “And I know that you relieved poor Craig of a good deal of his money.” “I had to obey orders in this case as in the others,” was the young woman’s answer; and Grewgus could perceive that she was speaking with considerable emotion. “It was the most painful episode in my career, for the poor young fellow was desperately in love with me. When a foolish blunder on my part roused his suspicions, I think his mind became unhinged. He would never have tried to kill me if he had been in full possession of his senses. I can guess you know all the details of the ghastly story from his great friend, Lydon.” Grewgus nodded, and Mrs. Edwards, conquering her emotion, went on in a calmer voice: