Viola sank on a sofa, and gave way to her emotion.

"It can't be true! It can't!" she sobbed. "I won't believe it. It
must not be true! Oh, how can I prove otherwise? But I will! I must!
Harry never did that horrible thing, and I will prove it!

"Why should Captain Poland try to throw suspicion on him? It isn't
right. He had no need to tell the detective that! I must see Colonel
Ashley at once and tell him what I think. Oh, Captain Poland, if I - "

Viola twisted in her slender hands a sofa cushion, and then threw it
violently from her.

"I'll see Colonel Ashley at once!" she decided.

Inquiry of a maid disclosed the fact that the colonel was still fishing,
and from Patrick, the gardener, she learned that he had gone to try his
luck at a spot in the river at the end of the golf course where Patrick
himself had hooked more than one fish.

"I'll follow him there," said Viola. "I suppose he won't want to be
interrupted while he's fishing, but I can't help it! I must talk to some
one - tell somebody what I think."

She donned a walking skirt and stout shoes, for the way to the river was
rough, and set out. On the way she thought of many things, and chiefly
of the man pacing his lonely walk back and forth behind windows that had
steel bars on them.