"The particular thing is—the extent and quality of Lady Riversreade's annoyance, or dismay, or perturbation, occasioned by the man's visit," he said at last. "If she was really very much upset——"
"If you want my honest opinion as eye-witness and as woman," remarked Rhona, "Lady Riversreade was very much upset. She gave me the impression that she'd just received very bad, disconcerting, unpleasant news. After seeing and watching her as she signed the letters I had no doubt whatever that the man had deliberately lied to me when he said he wanted to see the Home and its working—what he really wanted was access to Lady Riversreade."
"Look here!" exclaimed Hetherwick suddenly "Were you present when this man went into Lady Riversreade's room?"
"Present? Of course I was! I took him in—myself."
"You saw them meet?"
"To be sure!"
"Well, then, you know! Were they strangers? Did she recognise him? Did she show any sign of recognition whatever when she set eyes on him?"
"No, none! I'm perfectly certain she'd never seen the man before in her life! I could see quite well that he was an absolute stranger to her."
"And she to him?"
"Oh, that I don't know! He may have seen her a thousand times. But I'm sure she'd never seen him."