"From Hale? Then he will say as much!" cried the vicar. "This will go far to prove your innocence, Leo."
"I don't think Hale will help me much," said Leo, coldly. "However, we can talk of that later, or you can see Hale for yourself, Mr Tempest. But I declare most solemnly that Hale lent me the money. As to pawning the cup, I said before, and I say again, that I did no such thing. I did not take the cup. I was never in Battersea, and I do not know the man Mrs Jeal calls Old Penny. If you want to have me arrested, Mr Tempest, you will find me at Mr Pratt's. Far from wishing to run away, I court an investigation."
"Leo," stammered the vicar, restlessly, "I do not want to get you into any trouble. If I can help—"
"I am in the deepest trouble," returned Leo, "and more will not matter. You can have me arrested if you like. I know that Sybil believes me to be innocent, so does Pratt. I do not care for anyone else's opinion. I think you are treating me cruelly, Mr Tempest, and some day you will be sorry that you showed so little charity. I go now, and I shall not see you again until such time as you give evidence against me in court," and with this last bitter speech Leo walked out of the room with his head in the air.
The two clergymen looked at one another. They did not know very well what to say. Tempest sat down with a sigh. "I do not know what to think."
"I do," said Raston, sharply. "Notwithstanding the woman's story, I still believe that Haverleigh is guiltless. Circumstances have so culminated that he appears to be in the wrong. There is a mystery about the whole of this affair, and it seems to me that Haverleigh has some enemy."
"That may be so," admitted Tempest, struck by this remark. "But what is to be done? I can't have Leo arrested. Even if he were guilty, which I am now inclined to doubt, I cannot ruin his life."
"What we need," replied the curate, "is some clever man who will get to the bottom of this. If you can spare me for a few days, Mr Tempest, I will go to London and see Marton?"
"Marton?" repeated the vicar. "Who is Marton?"
Raston laughed. "Such is fame," said he, lightly. "Marton is one of the best detectives in England. He was leaving college when I went up, and we met for a few weeks. When I was curate in the Battersea slums I met him again, as he has a wide acquaintance with the criminal classes. We renewed our college friendship, and I still write to him. Now, with your permission, Mr Tempest, I will put this case into Marton's hands. It is just the kind of mystery he would love to solve."