At ten minutes to eight the detective came in hurriedly.
“They will be here directly,” he announced. “A servant has taken their luggage to Mrs. Hillmer’s place, and they are evidently driving straight here after taking some refreshment at the station.”
“Have you no faith in human nature, Mr. White? Could you not trust their words?”
“Well, sir, my experience of human nature is that you can very seldom trust anybody’s word.”
At last Smith announced Mrs. Hillmer and Mr. Mensmore.
When they entered Bruce was for the moment at a loss to know exactly how to receive them.
But Mrs. Hillmer settled the matter by greeting him with a quiet “Good-evening,” and seating herself. Mensmore stood near the door, very pale and stern-looking.
“It appears, Mr. Bruce,” he said, “that we met in Monte Carlo under false pretences. You were, it seems, a detective on the track of a murderer, and you were good enough to believe that I was the person you sought. It would have saved some misconception on my part had you explained our rôles earlier. However, I am here, to meet the charge.”
Claude was not unprepared for this attitude on Mensmore’s part. But he was determined that it should not continue if he could help it.