"Then she did wish to see you about that crime?" said Mrs. Craver, sharply.
Edwin nodded. "She to have a good opinion of my qualities as a detective and asked me to help her to discover the truth."
"Well, I'm sure! And what next? As if you were in a position to waste your time attending to that business."
"Well, mother, I nave promised to do so. After all, Lady Wyke is a widow, and has no one to help her. Also, on behalf of the firm, since she is a good customer, it is policy on my part to keep in with her."
"I don't see that, Edwin," observed the Rector, shrewdly. "After all, you are an engineer, and not a detective."
"Oh, I don't mean to say that I am going to give up the substance for the shadow," said Edwin, cheerfully; "that is, I don't intend to leave my business to start on what may prove to be a wild-goose chase. But, between times, and when I have an unoccupied minute or so, it is easy for me to look round. And I think you are rather hard on Lady Wyke, mother. She isn't at all a bad sort."
Mrs. Craver sniffed and straightened her spare figure. "I don't like the woman."
"Well," remarked Edwin, with the air of a man closing a discussion, "I have given her my promise to look into things, and I must keep it. For that reason, I have not changed my clothes, mother. I have to return to town to-night."
"Oh, Edwin!" cried Claudia, with dismay and with some reproach. "Can't you stay until Monday?"
"Not if I have to keep my promise to Lady Wyke."