"Wasn't she a rather expensive acquaintance?"
I was obliged to confess that she was, and mentioned the presents.
"Of course, as you were so friendly with Wyngate, you had to be nice to his wife," observed the solicitor.
"What?" I exclaimed, in astonishment.
"She is a very useful helpmate for him," continued the lawyer, smiling compassionately at me. "They have hunted together for years and made lots of money. Have you never heard of Violet Alexander's solid silver bath? You may be quite sure the lace dress and the diamond star have gone back to the shops where Wyngate made you buy them, and that he and Violet pocketed a nice little commission on the transaction. The shopkeepers are just as much in the gang as Wyngate and Jackson are. Wyngate stayed with you until he saw you were getting restive; then he ran up a few bills for you to pay and cleared out. You will not see him again until Jackson's bill falls due."
"And then?" I asked.
"Then there will be ructions," said Mr. Benedict, cheerfully.
Here he took up a paper-knife, played with it carelessly, and looked as if he expected me to find a way out of the tangle.
"Great Scot!" I exclaimed. "Shall I have to pay these villains eight thousand pounds?"
"You certainly would if you had not come to us in time," was the reply.