"I remember; but later he vanished, and then might have----" Prelice touched the domino significantly. "Still, there is one thing to be said," he added, "how did your husband enter Ned's flat?" "Don't you remember?" she said, raising her head. "Agstone brought in the lady--Dolly, I suppose--when Ned was in that cataleptic state." "I forgot that. But who admitted Agstone? What is the matter?" He asked this because Constance rose suddenly to her feet with a cry of astonishment. "Mr. Haken was at the ball," she said, alarmed. "I know. I saw him--that is, I recognised him by his chuckle. Well?" Mrs. Rover sat down again. "You know that Mr. Haken is my godfather," she remarked; and when Prelice nodded, went on. "He was much distressed over my preference for Ned, seeing that I was married, and came to remonstrate with me on the night of the ball." "Humph," said Prelice coolly, "I wondered why he was at the ball. A most unusual festivity for a dry-as-dust old man like Uncle Simon to be at." "I gave him the key," said Constance in a low voice. "The key! What key?" "The key of Ned's flat." "Constance, how did you become possessed of the key?" With a bent head and a hurried low voice, she explained. "Dolly was very cruel to me at times. He even struck me, and I could not strike back at a little rat like that. I told Ned, who was furious, and wanted to frighten Dolly. I prevented him, so that there might be no scandal. Ned then gave me the key of his flat--he had an extra key--and told me if Dolly ever struck me again to come to him. I should not have thought of doing so, but to quieten Ned I consented to take the key." "What an injudicious thing to do," breathed Prelice, alarmed; "if your husband knew, he might do a lot of damage. But how did Uncle Simon get the key out of you?" "I told him about it the night of the ball. He got me into a quiet corner to remonstrate, so I explained everything. Mr. Haken was angry at Ned for having given me the key----" "He was quite right," interposed Prelice. "Ned ought to have had more sense than to do such a mad thing. Go on." "Mr. Haken insisted upon having the key, and then said that he would go down and see Ned." Prelice turned suddenly pale. Was this what Horace had warned him against when he advised him to leave the case alone? "Did Uncle Simon go?" he asked in a stifled voice. "I don't know. He certainly said that he would go down and give Ned back the key, and talk to him about his folly in letting me have it."