"I'm not at all keen on getting at a man through his wife," said Mr. Flexen rather dolefully. "But in this case it's manifestly our duty to leave nothing untried. Murder for money is murder for money." "I should think it _was_ our duty!" cried Mr. Carrington with emphasis. "And there are three innocent people under suspicion of having committed the murder. Fire away. How is it to be done?" said Mr. Flexen. "The new Lord Loudwater must bring an action against Mrs. Manley for the return of that twelve thousand pounds on the ground that it was obtained from the late Lord Loudwater by fraud--as it certainly was," said Mr. Carrington, leaning forward with shining eyes and speaking very distinctly. "I see," said Mr. Flexen. But his expression was not hopeful. "Once we get her in the witness-box we establish the fact that Lord Loudwater had made up his mind to halve her allowance, for she'll have to give the reason for her visiting him so late that night; and so we get Manley's motive for committing the murder also established." "I see. But will you be able to use her evidence in the first trial at the second?" said Mr. Flexen doubtfully. "That's the idea," said Mr. Carrington triumphantly. "You think it can be worked?" "We can have a jolly good try at it," said Mr. Carrington, rubbing his hands together, and his square, massive face was rather malignant in its triumph. Mr. Flexen did not look triumphant, or even hopeful. "But will you get the new Lord Loudwater to bring this action?" he said. "Why, of course. There's the money for one thing, and when he sees how important it is from the point of view of getting at Manley, he can't refuse," said Mr. Carrington confidently. "There isn't the money--not necessarily. He might get back the twelve thousand pounds and have to pay Mrs. Manley six hundred a year for forty or fifty years. She's a healthy-looking woman," said Mr. Flexen. "I take it that the late Lord Loudwater had property of his own against which she could claim." "Oh, of course, she could do that," said Mr. Carrington, and there was some diminution of the triumphant expression. "She would," said Mr. Flexen. "Then you'll have to get over his objection to incurring a considerable amount of odium. It will look bad for a man of his wealth to try to recover from a lady a sum of money to which every one will consider her entitled." "Oh, but it was obtained by fraud," said Mr. Carrington. "If you were sure of proving that, it would make a difference in the way people would regard it. But you're not sure of proving it--not by a long chalk. And you can't assure your client that you are. There'll be a lot of conflicting evidence about that signature, as Harrison pretty clearly showed. If you don't prove it, your client will be landed with the costs of the case and incur still greater odium." "Ah, but he is bound to take the risk to bring his cousin's murderer to justice," said Mr. Carrington.