Prelice felt very uncomfortable, and his thoughts flew to his aunt with her merry ways. It would be terrible for Lady Sophia if Haken were involved in this dreadful case, and indeed if he were--as seemed apparent from Constance's story--Prelice wished that he had taken the doctor's advice, and had left it well alone. While he was puzzling over this new problem, and trying to find reasons against his uncle's complicity, he heard Constance cry out, and looked up, to see Rover standing in the doorway. The little stockbroker, dressed to perfection, and overdressed at that, looked more dapper and neat than ever. His face was more colourless, his eyes more plaintive and blue, than they had been in the artificial light in which he had received his wife's guests. Such a mean-looking, bloodless man could scarcely get into a rage; yet a venomous look crept into his eyes as he surveyed his wife and her visitor. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, trying to assume the dignity of an injured husband, which sat very badly on him. Before Constance could speak, Lord Prelice stepped forward with the domino over his arm, and spread it out. "This is the meaning of my being in your dressing-room, Mr. Rover," he said sharply and perfectly cool. "I found this behind some clothes in yonder cupboard." "How dare you search into my private affairs?" cried Dolly, standing on tiptoe, and growing red. "Is it not better that I should do so than the police, Mr. Rover?" The little man looked genuinely puzzled. "The police? What do you mean by mentioning the police?" "This dress, this domino, both are an imitation of the dress and domino which your wife wore at the ball. And the lady who was introduced by Agstone to make Shepworth insensible--if you remember the case--was arrayed in this way." Instead of turning pale, Dolly became redder than ever, and turned like a snake on his wife. "You!" he said savagely, "you entered Shepworth's flat. You dared to----" "I never was near the flat," said Constance, coming very close to him, and looking down contemptuously from her great height; "and if you dare to hint at such a thing I shall leave you for ever. I have put up with enough from you. Don't drive me too far." "Mr. Rover has enough to do to defend himself without troubling you, Constance," said Prelice quietly. Dolly started. "What do you mean?" he asked nervously. "This sham dress was hidden in your cupboard." "I never saw it before; I didn't know it was there." Dolly gasped, for he was beginning to scent danger. "The presumed woman introduced by Agstone was dressed in this," went on Lord Prelice mercilessly. "You hated Shepworth, you wished to get him into trouble, and so----" Prelice stopped. "I leave you to draw your own inferences," he ended. Dolly trembled, as well he might, for the visitor had drawn up a very good case against him. "I tell you I never saw the dress before," he quavered. "And how did you find it?"