Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/179

 Wedgwood interrupted him by nodding at the door of the room they had just left.

"If I were you," he said, "I should give these two fellows something—a judicious amount, you know—for their trouble, tell them they'll be remembered if their information produces anything, and get rid of them: I'll step into this room until you've done with them. Now," he continued when Nottidge had completed the suggested transaction, "about this telegram. I believe it's genuine!"

"How do you mean genuine?" asked Nottidge.

"I think it's got to do with Miss Mortover's claim to the Mortover property," replied Wedgwood. "How exactly I can't say—but that's my impression. There's this to remember—for anything I know, Miss Mortover's affairs, since I've seen her, may have been gone into by somebody."

"But why all this secrecy?" demanded Nottidge. "Why not do the thing above-board? Why carry her off"

"There may be reasons—serious reasons. Anyhow," repeated Wedgwood, "I believe that's a genuine telegram—I mean, what it says is genuine. I should make my mind easy if I were you. It strikes me that the next act of this drama will be staged in the Law Courts!"