"You must answer my questions frankly," said Vernon addressing the couple; "if you do not, the police may interfere." "The police?" shrieked Mrs. Gail, turning as white as chalk. The Professor silenced her with a gesture and spoke to Vernon with great dignity. "Young man," he said, striving to keep his voice from trembling, "I pay my rates and taxes, my bills to my tradesmen, and my rent for our home. Under these circumstances I cannot see why you should talk of the police." "I speak of them in connection with what has taken place." "And you may well do so, young man. To fire a pistol in a private house----" "That was an accident," Vernon hastened to explain. "My revolver went off when Mr. Hest assaulted me." "Why should Mr. Hest assault you?" demanded Mrs. Gail, much astonished. "That's a long story. Tell me," Vernon turned towards the Professor while Towton held his peace and nursed his hat, "what do you know of Maunders?" "Know of him?" said the amazed Gail, looking thoroughly puzzled. "I know no more than that he is a friend of Mr. Hest's who called last night and who was requested, by Mr. Hest and not by me, to stay the night. I have never set eyes on him before." "Did Miss Hest ever mention him?" "Yes, she did," broke in Mrs. Gail, who was listening intently. "She told me that he was a friend of hers in love with Miss Dimsdale, and mentioned that he was the only man she had ever seen handsome enough to play Romeo as Romeo should be played." Professor Gail nodded his head graciously. "I agree with Miss Hest there," he said gravely; "Mr. Maunders is indeed handsome. But she never told us anything about him, Mr. Vernon, save what my wife has related." "And Mr. Hest? What do you know of him?" "Nothing more than that he is the brother of my talented pupil. He came with the message from his sister, who is at her ancestral halls in Yorkshire, to the effect that she would return in a month, or perchance earlier, to fulfil certain engagements which I have procured her. I invited him to stay here during his stay in town." "Why did you?" asked the Colonel, speaking for the first time. Gail looked embarrassed, but Mrs. Gail spoke for him. "Mr. Hest, we know, is very rich," she said frankly, "and both my husband and myself wish to have a theatre of our own. We thought that if we showed him some hospitality he might finance us. I must say," she added, looking puzzled, "that I wondered that such a rich man was content to accept our humble lodgings instead of going to a swell hotel. But he seems to be easily pleased."