An unhappy
combination of circumstances must be faced candidly. Here are you and a
pretty girl together in a garden at a rather late hour, and a woman whom
you once wanted to marry spying on you, in all likelihood. I've met a few
coroner's juries in my time, and not one of them but would deem the
coincidence strange, to put it mildly."
"What in Heaven's name are you driving at?"
"You must not impute motives, sir. I am seeking them, not
supplying them."
"But what am I to say?"
"Perhaps you will now tell me just how Miss Melhuish and you parted."
The fencers were coming to close quarters. Even P. C. Robinson had to
admit that his "boss" had cornered the suspect rather cleverly.
Grant realized that there was no room for squeamishness in this affair.
If he did not speak out now, his motives might be woefully misunderstood.
"We parted in wrath and tears," he said sadly. "Miss Melhuish could not,
or did not, appreciate my scruples. She professed to be in love with me.
She even went so far as to threaten suicide. I--hardly believed in her
sincerity, but thought it advisable to temporize, and asked for a few
days' delay before we came to a final decision.
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