George Grey heard her. He was in the sitting room, smoking, and apparently reading a book; but he never turned a page. He lit one cigarette after another, and his hand was steady. He looked as he always looked—fastidiously neat, self-possessed, and a little haughty; but in spirit he was suffering horribly. Lexy knew that as soon as she saw him, because she knew him and liked him so well. She held out her hand to him, not even pretending to smile, but searching his face with an anxious and friendly glance. “Here’s Mr. Houseman, Caroline Enderby’s _fiancé_,” she said. “I’ve told him the whole thing, so if there’s anything new—” Captain Grey stiffened perceptibly. He couldn’t see what possible connection anybody’s _fiancé_ could have with his affairs. He shook hands with Houseman, but not very nicely; and Houseman was not excessively cordial. Lexy took no notice of this nonsense. Her mood of happy confidence had passed now, and the dark and mysterious shadow had come back. There was something of greater importance to think about than her personal affairs. “Captain Grey,” she said, with a sort of directness, “I didn’t tell you before, but I’m going to tell you now. I saw Caroline in that house, and this morning I found—this.” He looked at the handkerchief, and then at Lexy. “But—” he began. “It means that she’s been there, or that she’s there now,” Lexy went on. “It’s time we found out. Of course, I know how you feel about Dr. Quelton. He’s your sister’s husband, and you didn’t want—” “It doesn’t make much difference now,” he said. “If you’ll wait a day or so, she—” He turned away abruptly, and took out his cigarette case. “What do you mean?” cried Lexy. “It won’t be long,” he said quietly. “She—my sister—he says it won’t be more than twenty-four hours, at the most.” “Oh, no! It can’t be! Captain Grey, don’t believe him!” “I tried not to,” he said. “I—well, we had a bit of a row, and I made him let me bring in another doctor from the village here. He said the same thing.” “What did the doctor say it was?” asked Houseman. “Pernicious anæmia. There’s nothing to be done.” Captain Grey seemed to find some difficulty in lighting his cigarette; but when he had done so, and had drawn in a deep breath, he turned back toward Lexy with a smile that startled her. She had never imagined he could look like that. It was a wolfish kind of smile, lighting his dark face with a sort of savage mirth. “When it’s over,” he said, “I’ll be very pleased to help you to hang him, if you can; or I’ll wring his neck myself.” The other two stared at him in silence for a moment. “You think he’s—” Houseman began. “I don’t know whether he has actually murdered her or not,” said Captain Grey, “but he has destroyed her—utterly wasted and ruined her life. He taught her to take that damned drug; and when Miss Moran broke the bottle—” “Oh! Did he tell you?”