"Well," said Ned, "I admit I wasn't there to hear you, but I know Carrington made you put your foot fairly in it just by way of helping him to size you up, and he got your size right enough too."
"Then——" began Simon, and stopped and changed it into: "What does Carrington suspect—er—accuse me of?"
Ned stared at him for several seconds without speaking, and this procedure seemed to disconcert the lawyer more than anything had done yet.
"What—what does Carrington mean?" he repeated.
"He means you've lied, and he believes Miss Farmond, and he believes Sir Malcolm, and he believes me, and he puts you down as a pretty bad egg. What did you expect to be accused of?"
Simon could no more hide his relief to-night than he could hide his fears.
"Only of what you have told me—only of course of what you say! But I can explain. In good time I can explain."
It was at that moment that the door opened sharply and the start the lawyer gave showed the state of his nerves after Mr. Cromarty's handling. Mary MacLean stood in the doorway, her face twitching.
"What's the matter?" snapped her master.
"Please, sir, there are men in the garden!" she cried.