“Has he been over, here long?”

“He landed at Cherbourg last night.  Just arrived.”

“And she killed herself at once.”

“Whether the deed was done immediately before or immediately after his arrival is not yet established.  And I need hardly tell you that Mr. X has already fixed up arrangements not to appear in the case at all.  But one thing is sure—­she had made all the preparations for suicide, made them with the greatest care.  The girls saw her yesterday, and both Lois and I spoke to her on the telephone this morning.  Not a trace of anything in her voice.  I assume she had given a message for Lois to the chauffeur.”

“Yes,” said George.  “We never dreamed——­”

“Of course not.  Of course not.”

“But why did she——­”

“Another man, my dear sir!  Another man!  A young man named
Defourcambault, in the French Embassy in London.”

“Oh, him!” George burst out.  “I know him,” he added fiercely.

“You do?  Yes, I remember Laurencine saying....  Poor Irene, I fear, was very deeply in love with him.  She had written to Mr. X about Defourcambault.  He showed me the letter—­most touching, really most touching.  His answer to it was to come to Europe at once.  But poor Irene’s death had nothing to do with his coming.  She did not know he was coming.  She shot herself as she lay in bed, and on the pillow was a letter from this man Defourcambault—­well, saying good-bye to her.  I saw the letter.  Not a letter that I should wish to remember.  Perhaps she had told him something of her life.  I much fear that Defourcambault will be fetched from London, though I hope not.  There would be no object....  No, thank you.  I will not smoke again.  I only wanted to say this to you.  All Paris knows that my daughters were intimate with poor Irene.  Now, if anything comes out, if anything should come out, if there’s any talk—­you see my fear.  I wish to assure you, Mr. Cannon, that I had not the slightest suspicion, not the slightest.  And yet we journalists cannot exactly be called ingenuous!  But I had not the slightest suspicion, nor had my wife.  You know the situation between Laurencine and your friend Lucas.  You and he are very intimate, I believe.  May I count on you to explain everything from my point of view to Mr. Lucas?  I could not bear that the least cloud should rest upon my little Laurencine.”

“You needn’t trouble about Lucas,” said George positively.  “Lucas ’ll be all right.  Still, I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  I knew I could rely on you.  I’ve kept you a long time, but I’m sure you understand.  I’m thinking only of my girls.  Not for anything would I have them know the truth about the affair.”

“But aren’t they bound to know it?” George asked.

Mr. Ingram was wounded.  “I hope not.  I hope not,” he said gravely.  “It is not right that young girls should know such things.”