He was not so surprised as he might have been, on hearing of Maud's weakness. Several times, when he was courting her in Edinburgh, he had noticed how strange her manner was, and how careless she seemed to be of other people's feelings. But then he was blinded with what he took for love, and had not seen clearly. Now he could judge dispassionately, and felt certain,--apart from any personal benefit,--that the best thing that could have happened to Maud was the loss of the money. To weight so frail and fickle a creature with gold would have been to sink her in the ocean of life. He determined to allow Mrs. Mountford another thousand a year, for looking after her, and then the ex-governess could take the poor girl away to some lonely place, where she could quietly live out the rest of her life. In his own mind, Herries, with a sudden memory of a striking book, compared her to Lady Audley, and recalled how that celebrated heroine had been placed in seclusion as dangerous. Maud was just such another childish, pretty, cunning, dangerous woman, as that conceived by Miss Braddon. Having made up his mind how to act towards his unfortunate cousin, Herries returned home, and told Browne and Elspeth all that had occurred. Both of them were much astonished, and were divided as to who was guilty of the crime. Elspeth fancied that Señora Guzman was guilty. Browne held that Kyles was the criminal. Herries shook his head. "There's been so many mistakes over this case," he said, "that I am afraid to give an opinion. It might have been Mrs. Narby, for all we know." "Mrs. Narby," ejaculated Elspeth, with a gasp. "Mrs. Narby," echoed the doctor, his face growing redder than ever. Herries shrugged his shoulders. "She looks the kind of woman who would kill anyone, especially for money." "My father knows Mrs. Narby better than anyone else," said Elspeth. "I should think you knew her well enough, my dear." "The worst side of her, perhaps." "Has she any better side? If so, I should be glad to know it. But I wish I knew where your father is at present. Señora Guzman is aware of his hiding-place, but she won't tell." "Why is he hiding?" asked Browne, very directly. "Really, I don't know. He can't be in any trouble, or he would have said so in his letter." "The letter that was posted at Tarhaven," said Elspeth, who had risen from the table, and was thinking deeply. "Angus, I should not be surprised to learn that my father was on board the yacht." "By Jove, it's very probable, Elspeth. Kyles was ashore this morning according to Sweetlips, so Gowrie probably gave him the letter to post. That was why it did not bear the Desleigh post mark. But why should he have boarded the yacht." No one could answer this very pertinent question, but Browne ventured an explanation. "I believe that all this is a conspiracy to get that four thousand pounds. I wouldn't pay Kyles a cent, Herries."