Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/269

 with a knowing look. "You can crystallize the meaning into one word—Levigne!"

But Nottidge shook his head.

"Don't understand even now!" he said. "Levigne? What's he got to do with this?"

"Everything!" said Wedgwood. "I'm beginning to see through things. Levigne was the main factor in starting that Mortover colliery scheme. He's a big stake in it. Well, at a critical stage of its affairs, when the limited liability company is being formed and shares put on the market, he finds out that there's a claimant to the land which the company has secured from the supposed legal owner, Philip Mortover. That claimant is the girl Avice Mortover! How, we don't know—but I can guess! Levigne finds out that Avice Mortover's claim is a thoroughly substantial one, not to be set aside. He decides to take up her cause, and gets her into his power—she, of course, was the young lady we heard of last night, who was brought to Cleveland Square by Levigne and his secretary, spent the night there, and was taken away, somewhere, by the secretary next morning. Why? Probably to keep her in safe hiding until these legal proceedings could be taken. Probably, too, Levigne has got her to sign papers by virtue of which, in the event of her substantiating her