“Does Mattie know that?” he enquired.

“Oh, Mattie!” she cried contemptuously. “Mattie knows just as much as we’ve considered it wise to tell her.”

“Who are we?” said Wolf drily.

“ Mr. Smith and myself. Don’t you see, boy, we had to make ourselves responsible to the police for Olwen’s bringing up? It’s been an unholy business, the whole affair! It gives me a kind of nausea to talk about it.”

Wolf found that his protective instincts were thoroughly aroused by this time; and Miss Gault’s figure assumed an unattractive shape.