“I have reappeared again,” I told him solemnly. “And how are you, Mr. Pagett?”

“Very well, thank you⁠—looking forward to taking up my work again with Sir Eustace.”

“ Mr. Pagett,” I said, “there is something I want to ask you. I hope that you won’t be offended, but a lot hangs on it, more than you can possibly guess. I want to know what you were doing at Marlow on the 8th of January last?”

He started violently.

“Really, Miss Beddingfeld⁠—I⁠—indeed⁠—”

“You were there, weren’t you?”