"How about Lawrence?" asked Lyon.

"Lawrence? Oh, Lawrence! Well, of course I don't know anything about Lawrence," said Broughton somewhat vaguely.

Lyon smothered a groan with a laugh.

"Well, your happiness does not make Lawrence's case any worse, so far as that goes. And Mrs. Broughton's testimony--"

"I hope she will not be called on to testify in this case. It would be very unpleasant--"

"Undoubtedly. But Bede will have her subpœnaed if he thinks she can help his side. And before you smuggle her away, I must lay the matter before Howell. You know Howell has been waiting days and days for a chance to see Mrs. Broughton himself. Bede didn't wait."

Broughton looked as though the idea were distasteful, but he was too manly a man to shirk an issue.

"All right," he said. "You may give Howell the situation to-morrow."

"To-day," said Lyon, pulling out his watch. "What will this day bring forth?"

He was soon to find out. Fate had been dodging behind covers for a long time. Now she was ready to come out into the open.