“Yes, Wilkins, what is it? Be as quick as you can, Wilkins. We are at a most interesting point of our conversation. Miss Blow is just going to reveal to us the name of a murderer, and then Mr. Goddard is going out to arrest him.” “I beg pardon, my lord, but the ladies in the big drawing-room have been ringing the bell.” “Much, Wilkins? I mean to say, have they been ringing it an excessive number of times, or very hard? There is no harm in their ringing moderately. I should wish them to ring when they want anything.” “They’ve been ringing a good deal, my lord.” “Are they still ringing?” “Yes, my lord. That’s the reason I mentioned it. I thought there might be something you would wish me to say to them.” “Quite right,” said Lord Manton. “I’m very glad you told me. My idea would be for you to offer them a cup of tea or something of that sort to keep them quiet. Or what would you say, Miss Blow, if we had them down here? They might take to smashing up the furniture and the ornaments if I keep them there much longer. There’s some china in the room that I’d be sorry to lose. Not very valuable, you know, but still things that it would be difficult to replace. Don’t tell us the name of your murderer for a minute or two. Mr. Goddard and I will restrain our impatience. I’d like the other ladies to be here when you make the revelation. I’m sure they’d enjoy hearing all about it. Wilkins, will you kindly go to the big drawing-room and ask the three ladies to be good enough to come down here?” CHAPTER XVIII After a delay of about five minutes Wilkins opened the door of the library again. “Miss Farquharson, Mrs. Sanders, and Mrs. Dick,” he announced, giving the names in the order in which he had received them from Miss Farquharson, who had taken command of the party. She entered the room first. Her face was pale with anxiety. Her manner and expression were those of a woman who was very much in earnest. Her hat, a severe garment of grey felt adorned with a single bow of black ribbon, was pushed to one side of her head. Her hair, hurriedly pinned into place early in the morning, was untidy. She looked as if she had been working so hard as to have had scant leisure for attention to the details of her toilet. Mrs. Dick followed her. She was tremulous and showed signs of having wept frequently and bitterly during the earlier part of the day. Mrs. Sanders, a sallow, lean woman of about five and thirty, seemed frightened and bewildered. “I hope,” said Miss Farquharson, “that we are not intruding on you. Our business is really very important. That must be our excuse.” “Not in the least,” said Lord Manton. “We are delighted to see you. As a matter of fact, you couldn’t have come at a more appropriate moment. Miss Blow is just--but won’t you sit down? You’ll be much more comfortable sitting down.”