Edwin nodded. "She to have a good opinion of my qualities as a detective and asked me to help her to discover the truth." "Well, I'm sure! And what next? As if you were in a position to waste your time attending to that business." "Well, mother, I nave promised to do so. After all, Lady Wyke is a widow, and has no one to help her. Also, on behalf of the firm, since she is a good customer, it is policy on my part to keep in with her." "I don't see that, Edwin," observed the Rector, shrewdly. "After all, you are an engineer, and not a detective." "Oh, I don't mean to say that I am going to give up the substance for the shadow," said Edwin, cheerfully; "that is, I don't intend to leave my business to start on what may prove to be a wild-goose chase. But, between times, and when I have an unoccupied minute or so, it is easy for me to look round. And I think you are rather hard on Lady Wyke, mother. She isn't at all a bad sort." Mrs. Craver sniffed and straightened her spare figure. "I don't like the woman." "Well," remarked Edwin, with the air of a man closing a discussion, "I have given her my promise to look into things, and I must keep it. For that reason, I have not changed my clothes, mother. I have to return to town to-night." "Oh, Edwin!" cried Claudia, with dismay and with some reproach. "Can't you stay until Monday?" "Not if I have to keep my promise to Lady Wyke." "Well, Edwin"--Mrs. Craver stood up to go--"a promise is a promise, and you must not break your word." After the dinner was finished, the young couple were left alone, and Edwin poured himself out a glass of port wine, which he felt sadly in need of. Claudia said nothing, but watched her lover carefully. "I hate telling lies, in any case," said Craver, abruptly, "but it is particularly difficult with regard to my own parents. Yet I can do nothing else." "You can tell the truth to me," suggested Claudia, quietly. "I intend to. We won't be interrupted for at least fifteen minutes, so we can talk without arousing the suspicions of father and mother." "What do you mean?" "Can't you guess after what I have said, Claudia? I lulled my mother's suspicions regarding a possible flirtation of Lady Wyke with me by telling a lie; and I said that it was Christianity to help the poor widow--hang her!" "Oh!" Claudia started and winced. "So she----" "Exactly. Her flirtation is more serious than ever. She wants to marry me and asked me to tea so that she might put the case plainly." "She can't force you to marry her, Edwin?" "She'll try to; and there is no doubt that she has me on toast." Claudia rose from her chair, and came round the table to sit beside him. "Do you mean to say that she can implicate my father in the crime, and demand your hand as a promise of silence?" "No. I mean to say that she can drag me into the matter." "Impossible!" Claudia stared aghast. "What have you to do with the death?"