I shook my head. "It's nothing--you couldn't help me. It's
just--Aunt Jane."

"Your aunt? Has she been kicking-up a bit? I thought she looked
rather a mild sort."

"Oh--mild! That's just it--so mild that she has let this awful
Higglesby-Browne person get possession of her body and soul."

"Oh, I say, aren't you a bit rough on Miss Browne? Thought she was
a rather remarkable old party--goes in strong for intellect and all
that, you know."

"That's just what fooled Aunt Jane so--but, I thought a man would
know better." My feathers were ruffled again.

"Well, fact is, I'm not so much up in that sort of thing myself,"
he admitted modestly. "Rather took her word for it and all that,
you know. There's Shaw, though--cleverest chap going, I assure
you. I rather fancy Miss Browne couldn't pull the wool over _his_
eyes much."

"She evidently did, though," I said snappishly, "since he's let her
rope him in for such a wild goose chase as this!" In my heart I
felt convinced that the clever Mr. Shaw was merely Miss Browne's
partner in imposture.

"Oh, really, now. Miss Harding, you don't think it's that--that
the thing's all moonshine?" He stared at me in grieved surprise.