"Well, and what do you make out from that incident?" I asked. "That he visited the place in secret that night, though Asta believed him to be on the Continent." "But the disguise?" "Ah! there you are! Surely a gentleman doesn't go about in shabby clothes and trudge miles through the mud and rain without some sinister motive. The express from London had stopped at Corby twenty minutes before, therefore I concluded that he had arrived by that, and was making his way to pay a secret visit." "Are you quite sure that Asta was in ignorance of it?" "Quite confident." "You told her nothing?" "Of course not. I have kept my own counsel and remained with my eyes very wide-open. Every day has rendered it more plain that our friend is not what he pretends to be." The situation was, I saw, a most critical one. The young man loved Asta very devotedly, and, suspecting some undefined evil of Shaw, was now watching his movements as narrowly as a cat watches a mouse. This was curious, having regard to Arnold's written words of caution. The latter's suspicion seemed to have been aroused after his arrival in London. "Have you mentioned this to anybody?" I asked him. "Not to a soul." "Then if I may be permitted to advise," I said, "I should say no word to anybody--not even to Miss Seymour. I will assist you, and we will continue to watch and act together." "Good!" he cried. "Your hand upon it, Kemball." And we grasped hands. "I somehow fear that something will happen to Asta," he said in a low hoarse voice. "I may be foolish and unjust in my suspicions, yet I seem to have a distinct presage of evil." "Personally, I don't think you need have any uneasiness upon that score," I said. "Miss Seymour is his sole companion--probably his confidante--for he has but few friends." "Exactly. But perhaps she knows just a little too much, eh?" I had not looked at the matter in that light. My companion's discovery was certainly one that must cause anybody to pause and think, but suspicion of Shaw's hatred of Asta was, I felt, too absurd. But when a man is in love he is very prone to jump to hasty conclusions. "Well," I said, "now that you have been frank with me so far, and have taken me into your confidence, Nicholson, will you not tell me what you really do suspect?" "You are Shaw's friend. Perhaps I ought not to have spoken as I have," he said. "I am no more his friend than you are," I replied, recollecting Arnold's warning regarding the Hand--whatever that might be. "Have I not agreed with you that the circumstances are suspicious, and have I not promised to help you to watch? What actual conclusions have you formed?" "H-s-s-h!" he said, and next moment I heard a light footstep behind me, and turning, found myself face to face again with Asta.