A few hours later Lady Kelsey's dance was in full swing, and to all appearances it was a great success. Many people were there, and everyone seemed to enjoy himself. On the surface, at all events, there was nothing to show that anything had occurred to disturb the evening's pleasure, and for most of the party the letter in the Daily Mail was no more than a welcome topic of conversation.  
Presently Canon Spratte went into the smoking-room. He had on his arm, as was his habit, the prettiest girl at the dance, Grace Vizard, a niece of that Lady Vizard who was a pattern of all the and a member of the Church of Rome. He found that Mrs. Crowley and Robert Boulger were already sitting there, and he greeted them .
 
'I really must have a cigarette,' he said, going up to the table on which were all the necessary things for .
 
'If you press me dreadfully I'll have one, too,' said Mrs. Crowley, with a flash of her beautiful teeth.
 
'Don't press her,' said Bobbie. 'She's had six already, and in a moment she'll be seriously unwell.'
 
'Well, I'll forego the pressing, but not the cigarette.'
 
Canon Spratte handed her the box, and gave her a light.
 
'It's against all my principles, you know,' he smiled.
 
'What is the use of principles except to give one an agreeable sensation of wickedness when one doesn't act up to them?'
 
The words were hardly out of her mouth when Dick and Lady Kelsey appeared.
 
'Dear Mrs. Crowley, you're as epigrammatic as a dramatist,' he exclaimed. 'Do you say such things from choice or necessity?'
 
He had arrived late, and this was the first time she had seen him since they had all gone their ways before Whitsun. He mixed himself a whisky and .
 
'After all, is there anything you know so insufferable as a ball?' he said, reflectively, as he it with great content.
 
'Nothing, if you ask me pointblank,' said Lady Kelsey, smiling with relief because he took so flippantly the news she had lately poured into his ear. 'But it's excessively rude of you to say so.'
 
'I don't mind yours, Lady Kelsey, because I can smoke as much as I please, and keep away from the sex which is known as fair.'
 
Mrs. Crowley felt the remark was directed to her.
 
'I'm sure you think us a vastly overrated institution, Mr. Lomas,' she murmured.
 
'I venture to think the world was not created merely to give women an opportunity to wear Paris frocks.'
 
'I'm rather pleased to hear you say that.'
 
'Why?' asked Dick, on his guard.
 
'We're all so dreadfully tired of being goddesses. For centuries foolish men have set us up on a pedestal and they were unworthy to touch the of our garments. And it is so dull.'
 
'What a clever woman you are, Mrs. Crowley. You always say what you don't mean.'
 
'You're really very rude.'
 
'Now that impropriety is out of fashion, rudeness is the only short cut to a reputation for wit.'
 
Canon Spratte did not like Dick. He thought he talked too much. It was fortunately easy to change the conversation.
 
'Unlike Mr. Lomas, I thoroughly enjoy a dance,' he said, turning to Lady Kelsey. 'My tastes are , and I can only hope you've enjoyed your evening as much as your guests.'
 
'I?' cried Lady Kelsey. 'I've been suffering agonies.' They all knew to what she referred, and the remark gave Boulger an opportunity to speak to Dick Lomas.
 
'I suppose you saw the Mail this morning?' he asked.
 
'I never read the papers except in August,' answered Dick drily.
 
'When there's nothing in them?' asked Mrs. Crowley.
 
'Pardon me, I am an eager student of the sea-serpent and of the giant gooseberry.'
 
'I should like to kick that man,' said Bobbie, indignantly.
 
Dick smiled.
 
'My dear chap, Alec is a Scot and bigger than you; I really shouldn't advise you to try.'
 
'Of course you've heard all about this business?' said Canon Spratte.
 
'I've only just arrived from Paris. I knew nothing of it till Lady Kelsey told me.'
 
'What do you think?'
 
'I don't think at all; I know there's not a word of truth in it. Since Alec arrived at Mombassa, he's been by everyone, private and public, who had any right to an opinion. Of course it couldn't last. There was bound to be a reaction.'
 
'Do you know anything of this man Macinnery?' asked Boulger.
 
'It so happens that I do. Alec found him half starving at Mombassa, and took him out of charity. But he was a worthless and had to be sent back.'
 
'He seems to me to give ample proof for every word he says,' retorted Bobbie.
 
Dick his shoulders scornfully.
 
'As I've already explained to Lady Kelsey, whenever an explorer comes home there's someone to tell nasty stories about him. People forget that kid gloves are not much use in a tropical forest, and they grow very indignant when they hear that a man has used a little force to make himself respected.'
 
'All that's beside the point,' said Boulger, impatiently. 'MacKenzie sent poor George into a confounded trap to save his own dirty skin.'
 
'Poor Lucy!' moaned Lady Kelsey. 'First her father died....'
 
'You're not going to count that as an overwhelming misfortune?' Dick interrupted. 'We were unanimous in describing that gentleman's as an happy release.'
 
'I was engaged to dine with him this evening,' said Bobbie, pursuing his own bitter reflections. 'I wired to say I had a headache and couldn't come.'
 
'What will he think if he sees you here?' cried Lady Kelsey.
 
'He can think what he likes.'
 
Canon Spratte felt that it was needful now to put in the decisive word which he always expected from himself. He rubbed his hands .
 
'In this matter I must say I agree with our friend Bobbie. I read the letter with the utmost care, and I could see no loophole of escape. Until Mr. MacKenzie gives a definite answer I can hardly help looking upon him as nothing less than a murderer. In these things I feel that one should have the courage of one's opinions. I saw him in Piccadilly this evening, and I cut him dead. Nothing will induce me to shake hands with a man on whom rests so serious an .'
 
'I hope to goodness he doesn't come,' said Lady Kelsey.
 
Canon Spratte looked at his watch and gave her a smile.
 
'I think you may feel quite safe. It's really growing very late.'
 
'You say that Lucy doesn't know anything about this?' asked Dick.
 
'No,' said Lady Kelsey. 'I wanted to give her this evening's unalloyed.'
 
Dick shrugged his shoulders again. He did not understand how Lady Kelsey expected no suggestion to reach Lucy of a matter which seemed a common topic of conversation. The pause which followed Lady Kelsey's words was not broken when Lucy herself appeared. She was accompanied by a spruce young man, to whom she turned with a smile.
 
'I thought we should find your partner here.'
 
He went to Grace Vizard, and claiming her for the dance that was about to begin, took her away. Lucy went up to Lady Kelsey and leaned over the chair in which she sat.
 
'Are you growing very tired, my aunt?' she asked .
 
'I can rest myself till supper time. I don't think anyone else will come now.'
 
'Have you forgotten Mr. MacKenzie?'
 
Lady Kelsey looked up quickly, but did not reply. Lucy put her hand gently on her aunt's shoulder.
 
'My dear, it was charming of you to hide the paper from me this morning. But it wasn't very wise.'
 
'Did you see that letter?' cried Lady Kelsey. 'I so wanted you not to till to-morrow.'
 
'Mr. MacKenzie very rightly thought I should know at once what was said about him and my brother. He sent me the paper himself this evening.'
 
'Did he write to you?' asked Dick.
 
'No, he merely on a card: I think you should read this.'
 
No one answered. Lucy turned and faced them; her cheeks were pale, but she was very calm. She looked gravely at Robert Boulger, waiting for him to say what she knew was in his mind, so that she might express at once her utter disbelief in the charges that were brought against Alec. But he did not speak, and she was obliged to utter her words without .
 
'He thought it unnecessary to assure me that he hadn't betrayed the trust I put in him.'
 
'Do you mean to say the letter left any doubt in your mind?' said Boulger.
 
'Why on earth should I believe the unsupported words of a subordinate who was dismissed for misbehaviour?'
 
'For my part, I can only say that I never read anything more convincing in my life.'
 
'I could hardly believe him guilty of such a crime if he confessed it with his own lips.'
 
Bobbie shrugged his shoulders. It was only with difficulty that he held back the cruel words that were on his lips. But as if Lucy read his thoughts, her cheeks flushed.
 
'I think it's that you should all be ready to believe the worst,' she said hotly, in a low voice that trembled with indignant anger. 'You're all of you so petty, so mean, that you welcome the chance of spattering with mud a man who is so above you. You've not given him a chance to defend himself.'
 
Bobbie turned very pale. Lucy had never spoken to him in such a way before, and flamed up in his heart, wrath mixed with hopeless love. He paused for a moment to command himself.
 
'You don't know that interviewers went to him from the evening papers, and he refused to speak.'
 
'He has never consented to be interviewed. Why should you expect him now to break his rule?'
 
Bobbie was about to answer, when a sudden look of dismay on Lady Kelsey's face stopped him. He turned round and saw MacKenzie at the door. He came forward with a smile, holding out his hand, and addressed himself to Lady Kelsey.
 
'I thought I should find you here,' he said.
 
He was collected. He glanced around the room with a smile of quiet amusement. A cer............