The reason alleged for his visit sounded plausible, and in some degree might account for the hunted look she had surprised in the Duke's eyes. Yet she was not altogether satisfied. It was conceivable that the police should want to question the Duke, but the excuse for intruding on her at such an hour hardly seemed adequate.
"I am still at a loss to see how I can be of service to you in a matter of which I know nothing," she said, not attempting to keep the suspicion out of her voice.
"I only desired to make sure, madam, that the Duke was not at home. Having obtained that assurance from the fountain-head, pray permit me to withdraw," was the nervously spoken reply, punctuated by an awkward bow and the commencement of a hurried retreat. But the visitor had only taken three steps down the long vista of the room when the door was flung open, and Prince announced, with the air of one who springs a surprise:
"His Grace the Duke!"
Beaumanoir was very pale, but he advanced without hesitation, meeting Sibyl's interrogator half-way up the room. Startled as she was by her cousin's unexpected appearance, the girl intuitively rose and went forward, vaguely conscious of a desire to hear if the man repeated the same tale.
"Well, sir?" said the Duke, curtly.
Sybil hardly knew whether or no she was relieved when, word for word, the man repeated the reason he had just given her for his call. Watching her cousin's face, she saw the pallor yield to a flush of evident annoyance.
"Oh, yes; something of the kind occurred in the park at Prior's Tarrant," he angrily replied. "But all this about the man being mistaken for me is officious nonsense—too trivial to warrant your pushing your way into this young lady's presence at eleven o'clock at night. I shall complain to your superiors of this most impertinent intrusion."
"What could it mean?" Sybil asked herself. The man's nervous air—his attitude of listening—had disappeared. His sly face grew sleekly impudent under Beaumanoir's rebuke and it was quite jauntily that he answered:
"Then I'll bid your Grace good-night. Very possibly you'll reconsider the advisability of raising the question at Scotland Yard."