The little woman rose to her feet with an artificial laugh and shook out perfume from her silken skirts. "You are very clever and obstinate, Lord Derrington, but how will you explain this--" she pointed to the stiletto--"to the authorities?" "There will be no need for me to do that," said Derrington, and took up the weapon. Mrs. Ward stretched out her hand. "My property, if you please, Lord Derrington." The old gentleman opened a drawer, dropped the weapon into it, and closed the drawer with a snap. "It's locked now," he said coolly. "I shall take charge of this." "How dare you? I insist----" "Oh, dear, no! You insist on nothing." Lord Derrington rose, looking like a giant as he towered over the little woman. "My dear Mrs. Ward," said he, quietly, but in his deepest tones, "I have been very patient with you, but this thing must end. You must promise to hold your tongue about Brendon and----" "And about you, I suppose," she sneered. "About me?" Derrington's tone expressed surprise. "What have you to hold your tongue about as regards me?" Mrs. Ward stamped, though as a rule she was not given to betraying violent emotion. "Oh, it's too ridiculous!" she said furiously. "I can say to the police how I found the stiletto in your coat, I suppose." "I should advise you not to talk to any one about a thing which exists only in your imagination." "The stiletto----" "What are you talking of, Mrs. Ward?" "It's in that drawer." She pointed to the table. "Oh, dear, no, it isn't," said Derrington, blandly; "there is no stiletto, there never was one. We have had a nice talk--shall we say about chiffons?" In spite of her rage at being outwitted Mrs. Ward gave a hollow laugh at the thought of Lord Derrington discussing chiffons. "A nice talk, I say, and now we must part." "Not before I have had my say," said Mrs. Ward, savagely. "I see perfectly well that I have been foolish to let that stiletto get into your hands. But I thought I was dealing with a man of honor." "Ah, Mrs. Ward, few of us can aspire to your high principles!" The sneer infuriated her. "You can deny the stiletto if you like to the public, but you dare not do so to me." "Why not? For the sake of argument we will admit the existence of the weapon. You come here with it in your hand and state that you found it in my coat--in the lining of the coat." "And I did--I did--you know I did." "Indeed, I know nothing of the sort. I deny that the stiletto was ever in pocket or in lining. I did not see you take it out." "I waited till you were out of the room before I examined the coat." "Of course, but by doing so you have defeated your own object. Had you produced the weapon from the coat and showed it to me at the very moment, your accusation might have held water. As it is, the thing is simply ridiculous. You come here, you accuse me of a crime----"