"By punching of his head?" asked Lady Crowborough.
"No, by a very simple threat. You told me once you had seen the cheque that Mr. Ward paid for Mr. Wroughton's Reynolds, and that it was five thousand pounds. That is so, is it not?"
"Yes, my dear."
"Mr. Ward paid him ten thousand pounds for it," said Charles.
"Good Lord, my dear, do you mean that?" she asked.
"Mr. Ward told me this morning that he paid Craddock ten thousand for it," said Charles.
"And certainly he gave Philip Mr. Ward's cheque for five thousand," said Lady Crowborough, "for I saw it myself and thought 'What a sum for a picture of a young woman!' Well, he's brought a pretty peck of trouble on himself, and I ain't a bit sorry for him. But even that's not so bad as what he did to you, with those nasty mean lies, as he thought could never be caught hold of. And so you'll go to him now, will you, and tell him what you know, and threaten that we'll have the law on him as a common swindler? Is that it?"
"Something like that," said Charles, getting up. "I think I shall see Frank Armstrong first."
"Aye do, and take him with you. He looks a hard one," said Lady Crowborough vindictively. "I wish I could come, too, and tell him what I thought about it all. And he wouldn't forget that in a hurry my dear if there's a rough side to my tongue! And you'll let me know, won't you?"
"Of course."