Gifford himself was indeed beginning to fall desperately in love with her, but this naturally made Henshaw’s rather obvious prepossession none the less disagreeable to him.  This, then, he reflected, was the explanation of what Miss Morriston had hinted at, what she had described as his objectionable excess of politeness at their meeting that morning.  Happily, however, Gifford felt secure in his position as her accredited ally and in her expressed dislike to the man whom it seemed she had unwittingly fascinated.  It was indeed unthinkable that this splendid, high-bred girl could ever be responsive to the advances of this unpleasantly sharp, rather underbred man, and he was a little surprised that she could respond to his remarks quite so genially, with more graciousness indeed than even her position as hostess called forth.

He could not quite reconcile it with the way she had spoken of him previously; but then he told himself that he was making too much of the business, and saw what was mere politeness through the magnifying glasses of jealousy.  And so, secure in his position, he proceeded to view Henshaw’s attempts to ingratiate himself with an amused equanimity.

CHAPTER XIII

WHAT GIFFORD SAW IN THE WOOD

During the next day or two Gifford saw next to nothing of Gervase Henshaw.  They had parted amicably enough after luncheon at Wynford Place; indeed, the change in Henshaw’s demeanour had been something of a puzzle to the two friends, although Kelson did not seem much exercised by it.  “The fellow has evidently come to the conclusion that in dealing with people like the Morristons an offensive brow-beating manner does not pay,” he remarked casually.  Gifford, however, had an idea that the reason for the change lay somewhat deeper than that.  He wondered whether in the absence of any other apparent cause, Edith Morriston’s attractiveness had had anything to do with it.  It was not a pleasant idea; still, if it saved her annoyance that would be something gained, he thought; and that it should have any farther result was out of the question.

He had not had that day an opportunity of any private talk with Miss Morriston, for she had driven out after luncheon to pay a call.  But a certain suggestion of warmth in her leave-taking had assured him that she still looked for his help and that the conditions were not changed.

What he had undertaken so eagerly was now, however, not easy of accomplishment.  For reasons at which Gifford could only guess, Henshaw seemed to be playing an elusive game; he kept out of sight, or, at any rate, avoided all intercourse with the two friends, and on the rare occasions when they met he was to Gifford tantalizingly uncommunicative.  That something was evidently behind his reticence made it all the more unsatisfactory, since the result was that Gifford had no object in going to Wynford Place, for he had nothing to tell.  Indeed he learnt more from the Morristons than from Henshaw.  The police had concluded their investigations on the premises, much to the relief of the household, who were now left in peace.