“When your mother comes out of prison she will be able to give you a great deal more information than any of us possess. There is the question of your father, for example, who disappeared for a week or two before the crime and was never seen again. What happened to him? I remember there was a half-hearted attempt on the part of the prosecution to hold your mother responsible for his disappearance.” “How horrible!” said Lois indignantly. “Yes, I suppose it was horrible.” From the Under-Secretary’s tone it seemed to Lois that he did not regard the matter quite in that light. “In criminal cases, my dear young lady, the prosecution have to presume the most horrible things, and they’re usually right!” There was very little profit for the girl from this interview, but at least she had the satisfaction of knowing that she had made a start. Somehow she had never thought very much about her father and his disappearance. That seemed so unimportant by the side of her mother’s suffering. The letter and the key; these were two new points which she had never considered or known about before. She went back to Chester Square with a sense of accomplishment, and arrived in time to witness perhaps the strangest incident that mortal eye had seen. As she opened the door of the drawing-room, she heard a shrill voice raised in anger, recognised it as Lord Moron’s, and would have drawn back, only her ladyship, who had seen her, called her into the room. Moron was beside himself with rage. His sallow cheeks were pale, and, as he spluttered his annoyance, he stamped his foot in childish anger. “I refuse, I absolutely refuse!” he almost screamed. “I appeal to Miss What’s-er-name. I appeal to you, miss. Is it right that a man in my position should do what any wretched boozing doctor tells him to do? Don’t think that I’m afraid of this horrible creature, because I’m not! I know the law, by gad!” “Braime simply carried out his instructions,” said the countess in her deep, booming voice. She was standing near her writing-table, slowly sharpening a pencil with a little knife, and did not look up from her task. “I don’t mind giving up my room for a young lady,” said the Earl rapidly, “any gentleman would do the same. Besides, my study’s awfully jolly. But if I want to go out alone, I’ll go out alone, and I won’t have any beastly criminal butlers going with me--not if all the beastly doctors in the world order it. I’ve stood enough, my dear mother.” He shook a trembling finger at the woman, who, seemingly oblivious to the scene, continued her pencil-sharpening. “I’ve stood enough. You may marry this wretched Chesney Praye, the infernal blackguard! Ah, yes. I know all about that! I know a lot of things you don’t imagine I know! You may use my money as you jolly well please, you may----” Lois saw Lady Moron’s hand go up and touch her son’s face with a caressing gesture. “You’re a naughty boy,” she said, her thin lips curled in a smile.