“And yet you didn’t come to make sure that the key was safe?”
“No,” and after some hesitation, “I couldn’t.”
“Now, why couldn’t you?”
“Well, for one thing I had told Dr. Wallace that I was going to Millingham for the night when I wasn’t, but it wasn’t altogether that.”
“What was it then?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“But, my dear young lady, you must tell me. This is not a game of clumps, it’s a serious matter. Come now, what is it that you don’t want to tell me?”
“I—got engaged this morning.”
“Oho! Yes, but surely you could have spared just half an hour to ask about the key?”
“But you see I didn’t know that I was going to get engaged. My fiancé came to stay with us yesterday afternoon. He was going away by car first thing this morning, and we had arranged beforehand that I was to go as far as Boston with him, and then come back by train. We started at half past six. I was upset about the key but I wasn’t going to give it all up. It—you see, it meant too much to me.”