“There may be nothing,” said Lord Manton; “but from the little I’ve heard I should say that Mrs. Dick will have a distinct grievance; and as for your aunt, Mr. Sanders--you know her better than I do, of course, but she doesn’t strike me as the kind of lady who will treat the doctor’s story as a mere trifle.” “As to the police,” said Dr. O’Grady, “I don’t profess to explain exactly how they came here. Goddard seems to have given them some very peculiar orders, orders that won’t bear repeating. I don’t want to probe into the secrets of the force. I have a respect for Sergeant Farrelly; I used to have a respect for Goddard----” “You won’t have any respect for him when you hear how he has treated me,” said Miss Blow. “You hear that, Goddard?” said Dr. O’Grady. “Adeline Maud says you’ve been ill-treating her. That’s a thing I can’t and won’t stand from any man living, and if you make the smallest attempt to annoy the Emperor in any way, I’ll publish her story in the newspapers, and what’s more, I’ll hire the best barrister in Dublin to cross-examine you about the orders you gave to Sergeant Farrelly and Constable Cole.” “What you suggest, then,” said Lord Manton, “is to leave the whole matter wrapped in a decent obscurity--to let the dead past bury its dead. I quite agree. None of us want our share in the proceedings of the last few days made public. But will Miss Blow consent to allow the man Red--it’s her phrase, doctor, not mine; so don’t be angry with it--to allow the man Red to escape scot free? After all, it was she who urged us on to have him hanged.” “Adeline Maud,” said Dr. O’Grady, “has more sense than to quarrel with a man who has been paying me five pounds a day. He suggested four pounds at first; but he sprang it to a fiver the moment I made the suggestion.” “Of course, if Miss Blow is satisfied----” said Lord Manton. “She is,” said Dr. O’Grady. “Aren’t you, Adeline Maud?” “Now that I know you’re safe----” said Miss Blow. “In any case,” said Dr. O’Grady, “your pursuit would be quite useless. The Emperor started at ten o’clock last night in his motor-car. It must be after twelve now, so he has fourteen hours’ start of you. By the time you get back to Clonmore and send off telegrams----” “I shall insist,” said Mr. Dick; “I shall never consent----” “You go out at once to your wife,” said Dr. O’Grady. “Didn’t you hear Lord Manton say that she is outside waiting for you? You’ve been swaggering about the way you loved her ever since I first met you walking about with nothing on you but your shirt. I don’t believe you care a pin about her. If you did, you’d be with her now, relieving her anxiety, instead of standing about here talking like a born fool. As I was saying, Goddard, by the time you’ve sent off telegrams----” “I don’t want to send off any more telegrams,” said Mr. Goddard; “I had enough of that yesterday.”