“I’ve often thought I’d like to run away from this awful ‘my-lording’ and do some work. I’ve got a bit of money of my own that even her ladyship can’t touch--and you can bet your life that it’s pretty well tied up, old thing, if she and the bird of prey can’t get their hooks into it!” He was delightfully, restfully vulgar, and Lizzy who only knew this much about electricity, that lamps light up when you turn a switch, without exactly understanding why, could have listened for hours to schemes which might even have interested an engineer. But she had the letter to discuss. He read it through, and, by stopping at every other line and asking for explanations, understood the gist of it. She had noticed before how, on really important matters, Selwyn had quite intelligent views; and that he was no fool she discovered later in the day, when he confided to her that he had countered his mother’s veiled threats of getting him certified as mentally incompetent to deal with his estate, by making a visit to three Harley Street alienists in consultation, and procuring from them a most flattering tribute to his mentality. “I don’t know what it’s all about,” he said, as he handed the letter back. And then, answering her pained look: “Yes, I understand the letter, but I mean all these accidents and things--old Braime dropping dead, or something, in the library. Madam is my mother, and I suppose I ought not to loathe her. But she’s fearfully devilish, Miss Smith, fearfully devilish!” He fingered the red seam on his cheek tenderly. “You can never be sure what she’s up to, and since that bounder Praye and that awful boozy doctor have been around the house she’s been queerer than ever. Do you know what she told me once? She said that if she thought she’d be any happier by me being dead I’d be dead to-morrow--those were her very words! Dead to-morrow, dear old Lizzy! Isn’t it positively fearful?” “What a lady!” said Lizzy. “You’ve heard nothing at the house about this business--I mean Gallows Farm?” He shook his head. “They never talk in front of me. But _something’s_ happening: I’m sure of that! That chap Chesney has been in with her ladyship since eight o’clock this morning--they told you she was in bed--well, she wasn’t: she was in the library. And the telephone seems to have been ringing all night. I say, what do you think of that detective johnny putting the young lady in gaol? A bit thick, what? I meant to have a few words with him the other morning.” “He did it for a very good reason,” said Lizzy mysteriously. “I can’t tell you everything, Selwyn; one day you will know the truth, but at the present moment I’m not at liberty to talk.”