"You are the woman who came to see my father," said Gwen, turning white, for the sight of this visitor revived her recollections of the painful days before Squire Evans was murdered.
"Yes, I am the woman. Very clever of you, Mademoiselle, to remember me."
"I remember your dress. Who are you?"
Madame Alpenny nodded suavely towards the silent Hench. "Ask him."
Gwen turned round and looked hard at her lover's colourless face. "Who is this woman?" she asked almost inaudibly. "Do you know her?"
"None better," snapped the Hungarian lady. "Come, Mr. Hench, say who I am, and then I shall tell Mademoiselle who you are."
"Tell him who he is; tell me who he is," stuttered Gwen incoherently. "What do you mean?"
"Ask him," said Madame Alpenny once more. "Mr. Hench----"
"Ah"--the Hungarian lady broke into a hard laugh--"then he has not told you his Christian name."
"I will tell her now," said Hench, taking Gwen's cold hand, and speaking with an effort. "This lady is Madame Alpenny, who lived in the same boarding-house as I did in Bethnal Green."