"Certainly not, seeing that I locked you up in your room on that night. All the same, I shouldn't be at all surprised if you knew this man Osip, and that he had influenced you in some way."
"I don't know Osip from Moses," said Ferdy, doggedly. "All I saw of him was a glimpse on the night he searched Jerce, and then it was only a casual glance when passing him in the High Street. How could I possibly know such a blighter?"
"Uncle Henry might have introduced you."
Ferdy wheeled round in genuine amazement. "Uncle Henry! Are you out of your senses, Clarry? You know Uncle Henry never went out of his room for years and years, and certainly this man in grey never came to The Laurels until the time he searched Jerce."
"Do you know the Shah's Rooms, Ferdy?"
"Yes; I sometimes go there," snapped Ferdy, unhesitatingly.
"You go there very often, I expect," said his sister, bitterly, "well then Anthony went there, and--"
"What!" scoffed Ferdy, "the immaculate Anthony!"
"He's no more immaculate than any other man. Besides, when he was there a couple or three months ago, he was not then engaged to me. But Anthony saw Uncle Henry with this man Osip."
Ferdy went quite white. "You--Anthony must be mistaken."