“At this juncture Charles entered the room, but not before Mrs. Forrester had had time to collect herself; while Murray, without appearing in the least disconcerted, went on making some commonplace remarks about the weather.
“As for myself, this interview, of which I had been an unseen spectator, had naturally aroused varied emotions, and before putting in an appearance at the breakfast table I thought it best to take a walk round the garden to indulge in a few moments’ reflection.
“The confession is somewhat humilating, but I have always been rather fond of interfering in other people’s affairs, and in the present instance, having seen and heard all I had, I felt exceedingly reluctant to let the matter drop. The mystery attaching to Mrs. Forrester was not very difficult to unravel—at least in its main feature.
“As for this Murray and the influence he seemed to possess over her, I had long since made up my mind that he was a villain who would stoop to any device, however contemptible, to ensure the success of any evil enterprise in which he might be engaged.
“I determined to use every endeavour to defeat him in his present scheme, though let it not be for a moment supposed that any heroics were mixed up in this resolve.
“I looked upon the whole matter rather as a game of chess, in which by hook or by crook I must checkmate my adversary.
“When I reached the breakfast room, the trio seemed on the best possible terms one with another—Charlie cheerful and unsuspicious as ever, Mrs. Forrester playing nervously with a tiny piece of toast, which she made pretence to eat, but never touched, and Murray eating and talking with equal earnestness.
“‘Oh, yes,’ he said, as I came in, ‘your wife and I, Charlie, have discovered that we are old acquaintances. Curious, isn’t it?’ Wheels within wheels! What fools we are to fancy our world to be such a huge place!’
“I looked at his face as I sat down at the table more closely than I ever had before, and again the old thought of last night came back to me.
“Then my eyes involuntarily settled on his hands; they were still encased in light gloves.