"There is no evidence worth twopence against your mother!" replied Eldrick soothingly. "Put everything that Pratt has said against her clear out of your mind. Put all recent events out of your mind! Don't interfere with Pratt--just now. The thing to be done about Pratt is this--and it's the only thing. We must find out--exactly, as secretly as possible--what this secret is of which he speaks. What is this hold on Mrs. Mallathorpe? What is this document to which he refers? In other words, we must work back to some point which at present we can't see. At least, I can't see it. But--we may discover it. What do you say, Collingwood?" "I agree entirely," answered Collingwood. "Let Pratt rest in his fancied security. The thing is, certainly, to go back. But--to what point?" "That we must consider later," said Eldrick. "Now--for the present, Miss Mallathorpe,--you are, I suppose, going back home?" "Yes, at once," answered Nesta. "I have my car at the _Crown Hotel_." "I should just like to know something," continued Eldrick again, looking at Collingwood as if for approval. "That is--Mrs. Mallathorpe's present disposition towards affairs in general and Pratt in particular. Miss Mallathorpe!--just do something which I will now suggest to you. When you reach home, see your mother--she is still, I understand, an invalid, though evidently able to transact business. Just approach her gently and kindly, and tell her that you are a little--should we say uncomfortable?--about certain business arrangements which you hear she has made with Mr. Pratt, and ask her, if she won't talk them over with you, and give you her full confidence. It's now half-past twelve," continued Eldrick, looking at his watch. "You'll be home before lunch. See your mother early in the afternoon, and then telephone, briefly, the result to me, here, at four o'clock. Then--Mr. Collingwood and I will have a consultation." He motioned Collingwood to remain where he was, and himself saw Nesta down to the street. When he came back to his room he shook his head at the young barrister. "Collingwood!" he said. "There's some dreadful business afloat in all this! And it's all the worse because of the fashion in which Pratt talked to that girl. She's evidently a very good memory--she narrated that conversation clearly and fully. Pratt must be very sure of his hand if he showed her his cards in that way--his very confidence in himself shows what a subtle network he's either made or is making. I question if he'd very much care if he knew that we know. But he mustn't know that--yet. We must reply to his mine with a counter-mine!" "What do you think of Pratt's charge against Mrs. Mallathorpe?" asked Collingwood. Eldrick made a wry face.