"I'm not sure. He's awfully nice and is devoted to me. I daresay if I saw much of him I might--I might----" "Well," Miss Hest interrupted again, "I hope you will, as I am sure Colonel Towton would make you an excellent husband. He is handsome and distinguished and sensible enough to guide you. My dear," Frances laid her hand on Ida's knee, "I shall be glad when you become Mrs. Towton, as then I shall be free to go back to my work. People are sure to say, if I stay with you, that I am actuated by mercenary motives." "What nonsense," said Ida quickly; "why, you will not even let me give you a present." "I can buy presents for myself," said Frances obstinately, "and, since I left Gerby Hall to be independent, I certainly don't intend to play the part of a bribed or paid companion." Ida's eyes filled with ready tears. "How cruel you are, Frances," she wailed. "I am sensible and reasonable," said Frances firmly, knitting with an obstinate mouth. "I really love you, dear, but I can't sacrifice my independence to be a hanger-on. All the same, until you have a husband I don't feel justified in leaving you, so feather-headed, to your own devices." "I am not so weak-minded as you think," flushed Ida crossly. "Yes, you are, my dear. You can't say whether you love Colonel Towton or Mr. Maunders. You don't know your own feelings." "Yes, I do. I really believe I love Colonel Towton. I know that I did before Constantine appeared. Then I took a fancy to him. Now that fancy has gone, and I again love the Colonel. Yes," Ida paused meditatively, "I am sure that I love the Colonel." "Pooh! Pooh! Just what I said: you don't know your own mind." "I wish you would carry out your first impulse, Ida, and marry Colonel Towton. He's a good man and Maunders isn't." This came from Vernon. "I feel that," muttered Ida, "but he fascinates me. And, after all, he is trying to learn who killed my father." "So am I," said Vernon drily, "yet you don't love me. Not that I want you to," he added hurriedly and colouring. "But about Maunders; has he ever said anything to you likely to reveal the name of the assassin?" "No. Why do you ask?" inquired Ida, and even Frances stopped knitting to look steadily at Vernon. "Do you suspect that Mr. Maunders knows more than he admits?" asked Miss Hest. "No! No! No! Of course I don't," answered Vernon hastily and leading cautiously up to the purpose of his visit; "but he was in the house when the murder took place and might have seen some stranger present who would be The Spider." "I don't think so, and I don't see how he could, seeing that everyone was masked. If he had seen any suspicious character I certainly should have known of it at once." "Why you, rather than anyone else?" asked Vernon quickly. "Well, you see, Ida was in one of her freakish moods on the night of the ball and gave Mr. Maunders the cold shoulder, consoling herself with the Colonel all the evening."