"You must excuse my intrusion, sir," he said, addressing Mr. Phelps; "but I have already been to the Moat House and to the Abbey Farm in search of Mr. Thorold."
"Here I am," said Alan. "What is the matter, Blair? You have some news."
"I have, sir. I have been to London, and I have brought back with me a gentleman whom Mr. Beauchamp may know;" and he summoned the gentleman in the hall.
"Barkham!" exclaimed Mr. Beauchamp; "you here!"
Mr. Barkham was a dapper dark man, not unlike Lestrange, with an expression which a schoolboy would have called "sneaky." He did not recognize Mr. Beauchamp until that gentleman stripped off beard and wig. Then he hastened to acknowledge him.
"Mr. Beauchamp," he said, in a servile voice, "I hope, as I warned you of Lestrange's plot, you will hold me blameless."
"Why? What have you been doing?"
"I will tell you," interposed Blair. "This gentleman, as you see, bears a slight resemblance to Captain Jean Lestrange. He and the Captain were hard up in Jamaica, and seeing your portrait, Mr. Beauchamp, in the papers, they thought they might have a chance of extorting money from you. In case Lestrange got into trouble here, he wished to have an alibi, so he left for England under another name, and Mr. Barkham here came to Southampton in the Negress as Captain Lestrange."
"Yes, yes," said Barkham nervously; "but I warned Mr. Beauchamp that Lestrange was coming."
"Quite so; but you did not tell him that Lestrange was masquerading as a dumb man in Heathton."