“You can ask at the station.” Gabriel looked from one to the other perplexedly. But his perplexity was of short duration, the turkey gobble and St. Vitus twist it was impossible to mistake. He intervened sharply: “You are Mrs. Roope, my sister’s so-called ‘healer.’ When Mrs. Capel assures you of anything you have not to doubt it.” He spoke haughtily. “Why are you here?” “You know that well enough, Gabriel Stanton.” “This is the woman who blackmailed you?” The “yes” seemed wrung from her unwillingly. His voice was low and tender when he questioned Margaret, quite a different voice to the one in which he spoke again to the Christian Scientist. “How dare you present yourself again? You ought to have been given in charge the first time. Are you aware that blackmailing is a criminal offence?” “I am aware of everything I wish. If you care for publicity my motive can stand the light of day.” “You ought to be in gaol.” “It would not harm me. There is no sensation in matter.” “You would be able to test your faith.” “Are you sure of yours?” Margaret caught hold of his sleeve: “Don’t bandy words with her, Gabriel. She says things without meaning. Let her go. I will send her away.” She got up and spoke quickly. “Dr. Kennedy has gone up to town to see you. To ... take you what you asked. When he does not find you in London he will come straight back here. They will have told him, I suppose, where you have gone? He has the money with him.” “What are you saying, Margaret?” Gabriel rose too, stood beside her. “Wait a minute. Leave me alone, I have to make her understand.” Margaret was in an agony of anxiety that the woman should know her claims had been met, that she should say nothing more before Gabriel. She did not realise what she was admitting, did not see the change in his face, the petrifaction. “Why don’t you go up to his house, wait for him there?” Then she said to Gabriel quickly and unconvincingly: “This is Dr. Kennedy’s affair. It was Dr. Kennedy for whom you were asking, wasn’t it?” Mrs. Roope’s cunning was equal to the occasion. “It is Dr. Kennedy I have got to see,” she said slowly. “If he misses you in London he will get back as quickly as possible.” Margaret’s strained anxiety was easy to read. Afterwards Gabriel followed her, as she moved quickly toward the hotel. “What has she got to do with Dr. Kennedy or he with her?” he asked then. Margaret spoke hastily: “She sent back the post-dated cheque. It is all settled only they missed each other. Peter went up to town to find her and she misunderstood and came after him. He has the other cheque with him.” She was purposely incoherent, meaning him to misunderstand, hoping against hope that he would show no curiosity. Mrs. Roope came after them, planted herself heavily in their path. “I’ll give him until the last train.” “Telephone to your own house and you will find he has been there,” Margaret said desperately. “Let me pass.” “You may go.”