Pritchard's weakness," she continued. "He loves
to throw a glamour around everything he says or does. Because he
honors me by interesting himself in my concerns, he has probably
told you all sorts of wonderful things about me and my friends.
A very ingenious romancer, Mr. Pritchard, you know. Confess,
now, didn't he tell you some stories about us?"
She might have spared herself the trouble of beating about the
bush. There was no hesitation about Tavernake.
"He said that your friends were every one of them criminals,"
Tavernake declared, "and he admitted that he was working hard at
the present moment to discover that you were one, too."
She laughed softly but heartily.
"I wonder what was his object," she remarked, "in taking you into
his confidence."
"He happened to know," Tavernake explained, "that I was intimate
with your sister. He wanted me to ask Beatrice a certain
question."
Elizabeth laughed no more. She looked steadfastly into his eyes.
"And that question?"
"He wanted me to ask Beatrice why she left you and hid herself in
London."
She tried to smile but not very successfully.
"According to his story," Tavernake continued, "you and Beatrice
and your husband were away together somewhere in the country.
Something happened there, something which resulted in the
disappearance of your husband. Beatrice came back alone and has
not been near you since. Soon afterwards, you, too, came back
alone. Mr. Gardner has not been seen or heard of.
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