"Well," he answered, " if it be of importance,
I believe I can set the matter at rest.
She died——"

"Stop, Hugh! Wait a minute. Things
of this kind are easily said, but not easily
unsaid."

"Unsaid! I do not understand you."

"I mean that in a case where accuracy is
of vital importance, a person not previously
warned of this importance may speak
thoughtlessly an inaccurate word to which
he will stand committed, and which may
produce a great deal of mischief."

"But I——"

"So," proceeded Mr. Frost, speaking
through Hugh's words, "so I will, if you
will allow me, explain to you how very
important, to others, it is that you should
weigh your words carefully."

Point by point Mr. Frost went over the
story he had told to Mrs. Lockwood. Hugh
fixed his eyes on him while he spoke, with a
candid, undisguised expression of wonder.
Mr. Frost did not look at him often,
although from time to time he met his eye
openly and steadily. But he took a sheet
of ruled paper that lay on the table before
him, and, as he spoke, occupied his fingers
in folding it over and over, with accurate
care to make the creases correspond with
the blue ruled lines.

When Mr. Frost had made an end of his
story, he leaned back in his chair and
began twisting his folded paper into a
spiral form.

"Now," said he, "are you quite sure you
know at what hour Lady Tallis died?"

Hugh nodded his head gravely and
slowly before he answered, " She died in
time to make that marriage a good
marriage, if her death were all that was
necessary to do so."

The twisted paper in Mr. Frost's hands,
was suddenly rent in half throughout its
folded thicknesses.

"Indeed? You speak very confidently,
but your answer is not categorical. And
the evidence may be conflicting. Your
mother thought differently on this point."

"My mother! If my mother thought
differently, she was mistaken. And by
leading questions it may be possible to elicit
an answer of whose bearing the answerer is
not fully aware."

"Leading questions! You speak as
though I had some advantage to gain by
disproving this marriage! What in
Heaven's name, do you suppose it matters
to me? I don't quite comprehend you,
Hugh."

"And to say truth, Mr. Frost, I do not at
all comprehend you."

"I have no taste for mystery, I assure
you. Nor for Quixotism. It is, perhaps,
not difficult to throw away other people's
fortunes with a high-and-mighty flourish.
I am a plain, cynical kind of man; and I
should think twice before I did so."

No twinge of conscience prevented Mr.
Frost's handsome face from being scornful,
or weakened the contemptuous force of his
shrug, as he said those words.

Hugh was pained and uneasy. His
mother, then, had seen Mr. Frost! And
she had been guilty of something like
deception, in suppressing the fact! This,
to Hugh, was an almost intolerable thought.
Yet he would not ask any questions on this
point, of Mr. Frost. After a pause he said:
"I honestly do not know what you mean, or
what you would have me do. I can but
speak the truth!"

"Oh, of course," answered Mr. Frost,
dryly. " The truth by all means; so soon
as you are quite sure what is the truth.
The other party intend to litigate."

"To litigate?"

"They intend to litigate, I believe
(understand I am not acting for the
soi-disante Lady Gale. Lovegrove is Miss
Desmond's trustee and quasi-guardian, and
there would be a certain indelicacy in one
of the firm appearing on the other side);
they intend to litigate, unless they find
beforehand by testimony as to the period of
Lady T.'s death, that they haven't a leg to
stand on!" Hugh passed his hand over his;
forehead. Mr. Frost watched him keenly.

"There are circumstances in this case,"
said Mr. Frost, "which would render the
publicity of litigation peculiarly painful.
Miss Desmond's position would be most
distressing."

Hugh continued to rub his forehead with
the air of one trying to resolve a painful
problem.

Mr. Frost got up and stood in his
favourite posture with his back to the
fireplace. He averted his gaze from Hugh,
and played with his watch-chain. "My
own impression is," he said, "that Lady T.
died at a more convenient time for her niece's
fortunes than you seem to think. Mrs. Lockwood,
when I saw her yesterday——
Perhaps she did not mention having seen
me? Ah! Well, it was quite a confidential
interview——Mrs. Lockwood was of opinion
that if the thing rested on her testimony,
and that of the servant, it would come right
for Miss Desmond."