"Oh, he wasn't much to look at--a great strong fellow, for ever showing his teeth. But I've been told he's got brains, plenty of 'em, wouldn't have landed himself in prison if he hadn't." "When is he coming out?" "They were expecting him this evening, I believe. Hullo! what's the matter?" "Oh, it's suddenly struck me," cried Awdrey. "Perhaps he was Tony's man." "Tony's man!--what d'you mean?" Awdrey poured forth the story of her sister's adventure. "She said he was an awful-looking man, and goodness knows where he'd have landed her if the other man hadn't turned up and scared him away. I'm sure he must have been Furlonger, it isn't likely there'd be two scoundrels like that about." Sir Gambier turned red. "I won't have you girls mixed up in such things." "She didn't want to be mixed up in it," interrupted Awdrey, "it wasn't her fault. But it's lucky the other man turned up. You don't know who he was, I suppose, Tony?" "He said his name was Smith." "That doesn't help us much. But, by Jove! how Furlonger must hate him!" "We don't know he was Furlonger." "He must have been; it's just the thing a ticket-of-leave convict would do--try to victimise an innocent-looking girl." "I'm not innocent-looking!" cried Tony indignantly. "Well, I shan't argue the point with you. You must have looked pretty green for him to have said what he did. By the way, what was Furlonger locked up for, father?" "Something to do with the Wickham Rubber Companies. Farming wasn't good enough for him, so he took to finance--with the result that the whole family was ruined; had to sell all their land, except a few inches round the house--and the young man got three years in gaol into the bargain." "Wickham got ten--so Furlonger can't be as bad as Wickham." "He's a rotten scoundrel, I tell you. Diddled thousands of respectable people out of their money. Then put up the most brazen defence--said that at the beginning he had no idea of the unsoundness of the scheme; 'at the beginning,' mark you--confesses quite coolly that he knew it was a fraud before the end." "Well, I think it rather sporting of him," said Awdrey. "He may have a beautiful soul," murmured Lady Strife; "why do people always look at actions rather than motives? Poor young Furlonger may have sinned more divinely than many pray. It's motive that makes all the difference. Motive may make the robbing of a till a far finer action than the endowing of a church." "Tut, tut, my dear! What a thought to put into the girls' heads. Besides, it isn't as if the only thing against the Furlongers was that one of 'em's been in gaol. They're the most disreputable lot I ever met, don't care twopence for any one's good opinion." "They're quite well connected really, aren't they?" said Awdrey.