"You had better ask him," said Mary stiffly.
"I shall do so, miss, make no mistake about that! But I'm asking you now: when he was here this morning did Mr. Steel give you any reason to suppose that he was feeling very un-friendly towards Mr. Carter?"
"Mr. Steel and Mr. Carter never hit it off very well," she replied evasively.
"No, miss? Why was that?"
"I don't know. They are very different types."
"I put it to you, miss, that you know very well that Mr. Steel is in love with Mrs. Carter."
"Perhaps," Mary said. "It wouldn't be surprising if he were.
"My information is that Mr. Steel told you this morning that he had been in love with Mrs. Carter ever since he first knew her. Is that correct?"
Though she had mistrusted Peake, she had not suspected that he had overheard her conversation with Steel. Colour rushed into her cheeks; she felt the ground sliding from under her feet; and could only answer: "Yes. He did say so."
"Did he also tell you that he would like to break Mr. Carter's neck?"