"If she really abducted the girl, she'd naturally notice it was being kept quiet," I objected.
"On the day after Private Members' time had been appropriated, Jefferson's boy disappeared; Miss Davenant must have been warned in time to have her plans laid. She referred to my midland campaign, and had an accomplice lying in wait for my daughter with a car, the same day that Rawnsley made his announcement that there would be no autumn session."
"You will find all this on the famous Time Table," I reminded him.
"She got her information from some one who knew the arrangements of the Government."
"I'm surprised you continued to know me," I said, and turned to the Seraph. "It's devilish serious, as I said before, but it seems to be my funeral."
Arthur soon undeceived me.
"You are both equally incriminated. Aintree, is it not the case that on one occasion in Oxford and another in London, you warned my daughter that trouble was in store for her?"
The Seraph had been sitting silent and with closed eyes since his single intervention. He now opened his eyes and bowed without speaking.
"I suggest that you knew an attempt would be made to abduct her?"
"No."