"What about, you silly boy? Here's poor Myra eating her heart out, Edie miserable, my brother a perfect bear, I'm worried to death, and you say, what about! Malcolm Stratton, to be sure." "Oh!" cried Guest, very much relieved. "Well, I do not see anything to look pleased about, sir." "No, of course not; only I thought I had been doing something." "You have been doing nothing, it seems to me," said Miss Jerrold sharply. "Really, I have done my best." "But I thought barristers were such clever people!" "Oh, dear no," said Guest seriously. "Very stupid folk as a rule. Sort of gun a barrister is. The solicitor is the clever man, and he has to load the barrister before he goes off." "Then for goodness' sake get some solicitor to load you, and then go off and shoot something." "I wish you would load me, Miss Jerrold." "Well, look here, my dear boy. We seem to have settled down to a belief that Malcolm Stratton has been a great scamp, and that he drew back on his wedding morning in consequence of the interference of some lady who had a hold upon him." "Yes, that is what we thought," said Guest sadly. "And then tried to commit suicide out of misery and shame?" "Yes, I have been able to get no further, poor fellow. He is utterly dumb, as soon as I try to get anything from him." "What does that friend of his--that Mr Brettison say?" "Mr Brettison? I have not seen him." "Why not? He has known Mr Stratton many years. You should have consulted him, and tried to find out from him what might have happened in days gone by." "I did think of that." "And did not act?" "I have had no chance. Mr Brettison is out of town. I have not seen him since the wed--" "Ah!" cried Miss Jerrold warningly. "Since that unhappy day." "On that day?" "No. It was a day or two before, but I think I heard Stratton say Mr Brettison came to see him that day, and that he was going out of town." "Humph! That's strange!" "Why?" said Guest. "He was very fond of Malcolm Stratton, wasn't he--I mean, isn't he?" "Yes, of course." "Why should he go out, on Stratton's wedding day, instead of stopping to congratulate him?" "I don't know. It was odd, but Mr Brettison is eccentric." "It's more than odd, Percy Guest," said Miss Jerrold, looking very keen and intent; "the clue lies that way. Mr Brettison must have known something and quarrelled with Malcolm Stratton, it seems to me." "You think so?" "Yes; his conduct suggests it. Out of town? Hasn't he been to his chambers since?" "I think not." "There's your clue then. I've loaded you. Go off." "And find Mr Brettison?" "Of course. Then try and get from him the information we want." "Do we want that information, Miss Jerrold?" "Of course we do, sir. Malcolm Stratton's actions may be purged from their grossness, and happiness come after all." "Heaven grant it may!" cried Guest.