"Yes—but I don’t like doing it. She’s really an awfully nice girl, and I haven’t the heart to give her a ’dose.’" "She’s watching you, you say! Therefore she’s a danger to us all. Didn’t I warn you about her weeks ago? If you don’t want to court trouble, just give her a box of those beautiful expensive sweets, and then good-bye to all our worries." Boyne made no answer. His wife saw his hesitation, and went on: "It was a rotten trick at Cheltenham, I admit, but it had to be done—just as it must be done in this case. We surely can’t afford to take any risks, my dear Bernie! What a good job that you’ve found out that she suspects—eh?" she remarked. "So she must fade out—and very quickly, too. It’s up to you to do the necessary!" "But the man—this clerk in Mincing Lane—Gerald Durrant. He’s a most pertinacious person, it seems. We have, I think, more to fear from him than from the girl," Boyne said. "Didn’t I express doubt a week or so ago, but you assured me that it was all right?" retorted the handsome woman. "Well—what are you going to do?" "Do! Why, there’s only one way—put an end to their inquisitiveness," he replied. "Do be careful." Oh, I will be—never fear. But I shall want your assistance, Lilla, and perhaps Ena’s too. Neither the man nor the girl is acquainted with either of you, which is one point in our favour." "Have you thought out any plan?" she asked anxiously. "I’ve not completed it yet," he answered. "There must be no failure, remember," said his wife, betraying considerable anxiety. "What could have aroused the suspicions of this accursed girl, I wonder?" "Ah! I can’t tell. I’m always most careful. But I have confirmed my suspicion that while the girl is in the house the fellow watches outside. He followed me last night, and I led him a pretty good chase up to Hampstead, where I called to see Ted Lyons." "Ted might be useful—eh?" she exclaimed quickly. "No. We must keep this affair to ourselves. It’s far too dangerous." "Well, Ena and I will help you. But something ought surely to be done as soon as possible!" "I quite agree, Lilla. But the question is how shall we act for the best?" "It’s easy to deal with the girl—especially as she’s living in your house for a week—but how shall we tackle the man?" she asked. "That’s the difficulty. I don’t want anything to happen while she’s in my house," was his reply. "I allowed her to stay because I wanted to satisfy myself that she was really spying. Now I’ve confirmed my suspicions, and we must act." "Well, at any rate, it’s a good thing that we know the truth," the woman answered. "You must have blundered in some way or other, so it is up to you to wriggle out of a very awkward situation." "It is awkward, I admit," he said, gazing blankly out of the window. "If they got to know the true secret of that upstairs room, it would mean that we should at once be in Queer Street, in more senses than one—shouldn’t we?"