Airey Newton let her in. The door of the safe was ajar; he pushed it to with his foot. The red-leather book lay open on the table, displaying its neatly ruled, neatly inscribed pages. He saw her glance at it, and she noticed an odd little shrug of his shoulders as he walked across the room and put the tea into the pot. She had her small bag with her, and laid it down by the bread-and-butter plate. Airey knew it by sight; he had seen her stow away in it the money which he delivered to her from the custody of the safe. 'I can't fill that again for you,' he said warningly, as he gave her tea. 'It's not empty. The money's all there.' 'And you want me to take care of it again?' His tone spoke approval. 'I don't know. I may want it, and I mayn't.' 'You're sure to want it,' he declared in smiling despair. 'I mean, I don't know whether I want it now--all in a lump--or not.' Her bright carelessness of spirit had evidently deserted her to-day; she was full of something. Airey gulped down a cup of tea, lit his pipe, and waited. He had been engrossed in calculations when she arrived--calculations he loved--and had been forced to conceal some impatience at the interruption. He forgot that now. 'There's something on your mind, Peggy,' he said at last. 'Come, out with it!' 'She's broken--broken, Airey. She can't bear to think of it all. She can't bear to think of herself. She seems to have no life left, no will.' 'You mean Mrs. Trevalla?' 'Yes. They've broken her spirit between them. They've made her feel a child, a fool.' 'Who have? Do you mean Mervyn? Do you mean----?' 'I mean Mr. Beaufort Chance--and, above all, Mr. Fricker. She hasn't told you about them?' 'No. I've heard something about Chance. I know nothing about Fricker.' 'She didn't treat them fairly--she knows that. Knows it--I should think so! Poor Trix! And in return----' Peggy stopped. One of the secrets trembled on her lips. 'In return, what?' asked Airey Newton. He had stopped smoking, and was standing opposite to her now. 'They've tricked her and made a fool of her, and----' There was no turning back now--'and stripped her of nearly all she had.' An almost imperceptible start ran through Airey; his forehead wrinkled in deep lines. 'They bought shares for her, and told her they would be valuable. They've turned out worth nothing, and somehow--you'll understand--she's liable to pay a lot of money on them.' 'Hum! Not fully paid, I suppose?' 'That's it. And she's in debt besides. But it's the shares that are killing her. That's where the bitterness is, Airey.' 'Does she know you're telling me this?' 'I gave her my word that I'd never tell.' Airey moved restlessly about the room. 'Well?' he said from the other end of it. 'She could get over everything but that. So I went to Mr. Fricker----' 'You went to Fricker?' He came to a stand in amazement.