Lemby clutched his head. "Dash it, things are so crooked that I must straighten them out somehow by suggesting," he said, angrily. "And if this young jackaroo is trying to spoil my plans again, I'll make it hot for him. Upon my word, Claudia, I think it best that you should marry the fellow, so that I may be able to make Lady Wyke my wife and collar the dibs." "She won't have you, dad." "Oh, yes, she will." Lemby glanced at the nearest mirror, and admired his big body, his black hair, his stalwart looks and general virility. "I may as well tell you that I met her when she came downstairs after seeing you, and I took her to a teashop to have a talk. We got on famously." "Did she tell you that she suspected you of committing the murder?" asked Claudia, acidly, and not approving of this escapade. "No, she didn't. If she had I'd have brought her to her senses." "You'll never do that. She's too clever for you, dad." Claudia had just uttered this remark in a very positive way when Jane, the parlourmaid, showed young Craver into the drawing-room. Lemby was by no means so pleased to see him as Claudia was, and looked at their greeting glumly. He was quite annoyed when he heard that his daughter had summoned this inconvenient third by telegram. Edwin, who looked smart and well-groomed in evening dress, nodded coolly to his prospective father-in-law and sat down. Then Lemby could contain himself no longer. "What the deuce do you mean by treating me as nothing in my own house?" he demanded, clenching his big fists with a truculent air. "I apologise if I have treated you impolitely," said Edwin, raising his eyebrows; "but as you have never shaken hands with me, or bid me welcome; I do not see what you expect me to do." "Be civil," growled the buccaneer, and dropped into an armchair to fill his pipe. "I'd have dropped you at sight with my little gun had you behaved in this cheeky way to me in Australia." "I'm not so easily dropped." retorted Craver, laughing, for the man's childish behaviour was not worth noticing. "Two can play at that game, Mr. Lemby. But as Claudia wants to tell me something, don't you think you can treat me as your guest and with courtesy for a few minutes?" Turning towards her lover, Claudia rapidly told him all about Lady Wyke and her visit. Craver was amazed by the story, and could not believe, that Wyke had been married. "How do you know that this woman is not an impostor?" he asked Mr. Lemby over Claudia's shoulder. The pirate grunted. "She ain't," he declared, decisively. "Sandal knows all about the marriage, and knows her and knows about the will leaving the cash to her, hang her! She's not an impostor, worse luck. And, what's more, she's a dashed pretty woman." "Do you think so, Edwin?" asked Claudia, anxiously and significantly. "Oh!" The young man smiled broadly. "Then she told you that she had met me?" "Yes. Both at Hendon and at your factory. Edwin, you did not tell me that you went in for aviation."