of their position.

He and Elsie had spent a good deal of

their time together. Then there was the

fact that they had been seen together in

the pinewoods by one of the Polish women

under rather compromising circumstances.

The Polish ladies apparently spoke no

English, but they might nevertheless understand

it a little. The woman might have

known the meaning of words like ^jealously" and "husband" if she had chanced to overhear their conversation.

Anyway it was clear that it was something

she had said to Clayton that had aroused

his jealousy. And now --his death. When

Clayton had died, he, Harold, had been in

Elsie Clayton^s room. There was nothing

to show that he had not deliberately assaulted

Philip Clayton with the paperweight.

Nothing to show that the jealous

husband had not actually found them

together. There was only his word and

Elsie's. Would they be believed ?

A cold fear gripped him.

He did not imagine --no, he really did

224

not imagine --that either he or Elsie was

in danger of being condemned to death

for a murder they had not committed.

Surely, in any case, it could only be a

charge of manslaughter brought against

them. (Did they have manslaughter in

these foreign countries ?) But even if they

were acquitted of blame there would have

to be an inquiry --it would be reported in

all the papers. An English man and woman

accused--jealous husband--rising politician. Yes, it would mean the end of his political career. It would never survive a

scandal like that.

He said on an impulse:

"Can't we get rid of the body somehow ?

Plant it somewhere ?"

Mrs. Rice's astonished and scornful

look made him blush. She said incisively:

"My dear Harold, this isn't a detective

story! To attempt a thing like that would

be quite crazy."

"I suppose it would.35 He groaned.

"What can we do? My God, what can

we do ?"

Mrs. Rice shook her head despairingly.

She was frowning, her mind working

painfully.

225

Harold demanded:

"Isn't there anything we can do ? Anything

to avoid this frightful disaster ?"

There, it was out--disaster! Terrible

--unforeseen --utterly damning.

They stared at each other. Mrs. Rice

said hoarsely:

"Elsie --my little girl. I'd do anything.

... It will kill her if she has to go through a

thing like this." And she added: "You too,

your career --everything."

Harold managed to say:

"Never mind me."

But he did not really mean it.

Mrs. Rice went on bitterly:

"And all so unfair --so utterly untrue!

It's not as though there had ever been anything

between you. I know that well

enough."

Harold suggested, catching at a straw:

"You'll be able to say that at least-that it was all perfectly all right." Mrs. Rice said bitterly:

"Yes, if they believe me. But you know

what these people out here are like!"

Harold agreed gloomily. To the Continental

mind, there would undoubtedly

be a guilty connection between himself

226

and Elsie, and all Mrs. Rice's denials