"This," said Meldon, "is perfectly monstrous. I must go and see about it at once. He has evidently been bullying that unfortunate Miss King, coercing her with threats until she has agreed to board and lodge him. I can't have that sort of thing going on under my very eyes. You'll excuse me, Sabina, if I run away from you. It's absolutely necessary that I should go up to Ballymoy House at once. I'll borrow Mr. Doyle's bicycle again." He went out through the back door into the yard, and found Doyle stabling his pony. "I suppose," he said, "that I can have your bicycle again. Affairs have taken a turn which I'm bound to say I did not foresee. I have to get at that judge as soon as possible. He seems to have been ill-treating Miss King. I expected that he'd go for her over that paraffin oil affair, but--" "Amn't I telling you," said Doyle, "that she'd neither act nor part--" "I know that; but the judge thinks she had, and he's-- You'd hardly believe it, Doyle, but he's had the unparalleled insolence to go and quarter himself on her in Ballymoy House." "It's what I said he'd do," said Doyle, "and I'm not surprised." "If you understood the peculiar and delicate relations which exist between that judge and Miss King--but of course you don't, and I, unfortunately, can't explain them to you. If you did, you'd see at once that the judge must simply have forced himself on Miss King, using, I have no doubt, the most unchivalrous and despicable threats to achieve his end. Considering that he's getting his board and lodging out of her he might very well be prosecuted for blackmail. Just conceive to yourself, Doyle-- But I can't talk about it. Where's the bicycle?" "You took it out with you to Portsmouth Lodge last night," said Doyle, "and so far as I know you didn't bring it back again. But there's an old one in the stable belonging to Patsy Flaherty, and you can take that if you like." "It can't be worse than yours," said Meldon, "with that loose pedal. Just you wheel it round to the door for me, and pump up the tyres if they want it. There's something I forgot to ask Sabina. I'll go through the kitchen, and meet you by the time you have the machine ready." He darted into the kitchen, leaving Doyle to tie up his pony and pump the bicycle. "Is that you back?" said Sabina. "I thought you were gone. Didn't you tell me there was a hurry on you?" "I'm just going," said Meldon; "but before I start I want to ask you how you managed the boiled egg. I suppose the judge had a boiled egg for breakfast. Did you put paraffin into it?" "I did." "How? I'm most anxious to know how it was done." "It's what the gentleman asked me himself," said Sabina, "and I told him the truth." "Then tell it to me." "I'm not sure will I. The gentleman was terrible upset when he heard it, worse than you'd think; for he had the egg ate." "There can't have been much paraffin in it, then." "There was not; but there was some."