For a moment she hesitated, with a longing glance up the staircase as if she wished to escape from something peculiarly unwelcome. Then with a little shrug of her shoulders she turned into the hall. “Oh, very well,” she said, with an assumption of lightness. “If you really make such a point of it.” Roger piloted her out through the front door, picking up a couple of folding garden chairs as he passed through the hall. He led the way into a deserted corner of the rose garden that could not be overlooked from the house, and set up his chairs so that they faced one another. “Will you sit down, Mrs. Plant?” he said gravely. If he had been trying to work up an atmosphere with a view to facilitating further developments, Roger appeared to have succeeded. Mrs. Plant seated herself without a word and looked at him apprehensively. Roger sat down with deliberation and gazed at her for a moment in silence. Then: “It has come to my knowledge that you were not speaking the truth to me yesterday about your visit to the library, Mrs. Plant,” he said slowly. Mrs. Plant started. “Really, Mr. Sheringham!” she exclaimed, flushing with indignation and rising hurriedly to her feet. “I fail to understand what right you have to insult me in this gross way. This is the second time you have attempted to question me, and you will allow me to say that I consider your conduct presumptuous and impertinent in the highest degree. I should be obliged if you would kindly refrain from making me the target for your abominable lack of manners in future.” Roger gazed up at her unperturbed. “You were really there,” he continued impressively, “for the purpose of being blackmailed by Mr. Stanworth.” Mrs. Plant sat down so suddenly that it seemed as if her knees had collapsed beneath her. Her hands gripped the sides of her chair till the knuckles were as white as her face. “Now look here, Mrs. Plant,” Roger said, leaning forward and speaking rapidly, “there’s been something very funny going on here, and I mean to get to the bottom of it. Believe me, I don’t mean you any harm. I’m absolutely on your side, if things are as I believe them to be. But I must know the truth. As a matter of fact, I think I know pretty well everything already; but I want you to confirm it for me with your own lips. I want you to tell me the plain, unvarnished truth of what happened in Stanworth’s library the night before last.” “And if I refuse?” almost whispered Mrs. Plant, through bloodless lips. Roger shrugged his shoulders. “You leave me with absolutely no alternative. I shall have to tell the police what I know and leave the rest in their hands.” “The _police_?”