'It is terrible. I tremble—I dare not tell you. Yet I must. You ought to know.'
'If you would go on. It is much more terrible to be kept in suspense.'
'It is about George.'
'Oh!' said Elsie, flaming. 'I have had so much trouble about George already, that I did think——'
'My dear, all opposition of the former kind is removed, as you know. This is something very different. Worse,' she added in a hollow voice—'far worse.'
'For Heaven's sake, get along.'
'He has told you about the dreadful robbery. Of course you have talked about nothing else since it happened. I found my mother full of it.'
'Yes—George is in charge of the case. He says that everything must be recovered, and that Mr. Dering will in the end suffer no more injury than the trouble of it.'
'That may be so. Elsie—I hardly dare to tell you—there is a clue. Checkley has got that clue, and has told Sir Samuel everything. He is following up the clue. I shudder to think of it. The man is as relentless as a bloodhound.'
'Does that clue concern me?' Her cheek became pale because she guessed—she knew not what.