"You don't know him," she reiterated hoarsely. "He's--ah!"

With a shriek of terror she sprang to her feet. Her outstretched
hand pointed over Tuppence's head. Then she swayed to the ground
in a dead faint.

Tuppence looked round to see what had startled her.

In the doorway were Sir James Peel Edgerton and Julius
Hersheimmer.



CHAPTER XIII

THE VIGIL

SIR James brushed past Julius and hurriedly bent over the fallen
woman.

"Heart," he said sharply. "Seeing us so suddenly must have given
her a shock. Brandy--and quickly, or she'll slip through our
fingers."

Julius hurried to the washstand.

"Not there," said Tuppence over her shoulder. "In the tantalus
in the dining-room. Second door down the passage."