Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/270

 claim, he'll put himself safe and right, financially. Deep and clever work, young man—but I shall have a word or two to say to Mr. Levigne as soon as I set eyes on him!"

Nottidge listened to all this with knitted brows.

"What I don't understand," he said moodily, "is how they got Miss Mortover away so willingly! Strangers to her—and yet that girl we saw last night said she seemed quite at home with them!"

"Oh, I understand that!" answered Wedgwood. "The woman probably introduced herself as a relation, and Levigne as another. They got round her with soft words, representing that they were her friends and going to see that she got her rights."

"That doesn't explain why she's never communicated with me, though!" said Nottidge. "She might at least have dropped me a line!"

Wedgwood smiled and gave his companion a shrewd glance.

"I think you'll find that she probably did drop you a line!" he said. "It's not her fault that you didn't get it!"

"What d'you mean?" asked Nottidge.

"Do you remember what the waiter, Marco, told us as regards a certain happening at Cipriani's restaurant?" asked Wedgwood. "He