"I quite understand," nodded Harding. "And I expect that like a great many men of his type he was inclined to he tactless in his flirtations — forgetting that you had a husband by you."
A wary look crept into the shallow blue eyes. "Oh, Basil absolutely trusts me, Inspector!"
"I'm sure he does. But he might still feel a trifle jealous," suggested Harding.
"You know too much, Inspector. I daresay Basil was a tiny bit jealous, but not seriously — because, I mean, he had no cause."
Harding raised his brows quizzically. "No cause at all, Mrs. Halliday? Are you going to tell me you didn't lead Sir Arthur on just a little?"
Again she patted her hair. "Perhaps I did — a very little," she said archly. "However did you guess?"
"Well, there must have been some reason for his extraordinary behaviour in trying to make you accept a cheque for fifty pounds," Harding replied. "I imagined that in all probability you did flirt with him just enough to make him leap to quite wrong conclusions."
At the mention of the cheque she had flushed, and seemed to retire into her shell. She said cautiously: "I don't know why he gave me that cheque. It was frightful cheek, and of course I ought to have told him so, only it was so awfully awkward."
"It must have taken you very much by surprise," said Harding sympathetically.
"Oh, it did, absolutely! I didn't know what to say."