"Nor to anyone," replied Bess warmly, "let us work out the thing ourselves and put an end to the conspiracy. I am sure it is one," she added, "for you see Carr's money is mentioned. I hope poor Stephen will not be murdered next!" "I hope not," said Herrick rather gloomily. He was recalling what Mrs. Marsh had said to him about Frisco and of a possible danger to her step-son. "At all events I shall look after him carefully. But all this seems to show that Frisco is not the good man you thought him." "It does look bad for Frisco," admitted Bess dejectedly, "still he may be able to explain if he can only summon up courage to take his trial. I should not like to be mistaken in Frisco. There was something I liked about him." "Well, I'll go up to town and watch," said Herrick. "By the way, my friend Joyce is coming down here next week to stay for a time." "I am so glad," said Bess eagerly. "I saw only a glimpse of him last time. He is an author, and we shall have so much to talk about." Herrick was rather annoyed by her enthusiasm. He did not like the idea of Joyce whom he suspected, being too great a friend of this girl's. Yet when he came to think over the matter, his annoyance was ridiculous. He was jealous of Stephen with Ida, and now irritated at the prospect of Bess getting on well with Robin. "I do not love the two of them," said Herrick to himself with a vexed laugh, "yet I like both. At all events if Joyce does come down, I'll keep them apart as much as possible. I must know the truth about Joyce before I let him again into my circle of friends. In any case he is a liar if no worse." This was an unsatisfactory frame of mind in which to renew a friendship. But Jim had no such intention. Finding that Robin had told him two deliberate falsehoods, he made up his mind that all was at an end between them. Herrick had a very high opinion of the sacredness of friendship, and was in addition as Dr. Johnson said "a good hater." He either liked a man greatly or disliked him immensely. With the utmost calmness he went to work to get his quondam friend by his side in order to learn the truth. If Joyce had murdered Carr, if he was mixed up with Frisco and Don Manuel in a conspiracy against Stephen, there was no punishment he did not deserve. But although Herrick was hard, he was also just. Every chance would be given to Joyce to prove his innocence. And if in the end he proved to be guilty, Jim knew in his heart of hearts that he would let him go free. Much as he might deserve the punishment of the law, Jim felt that for the sake of their old friendship he could not be the one to hand him over to Justice.