Fielding jumped at the idea.  ‘By Jove, yes,’ he said.  ’I should think, in fact, the directors of the Company will rather expect it.’

They walked together until they reached the corner of Parliament Street; there they stopped.

‘I am awfully sorry, Drake,’ said Fielding.  ’I behaved like a blackguard.’

Drake again cut him short.  ’Oh, I don’t see that.  The thing looked fishy, I don’t doubt, and you weren’t bound to me in any way.  Good-bye,’ and he held out his hand with a cordial smile.

‘Good-bye,’ said Fielding, and they separated.

On reaching his flat Drake was informed that a lady was waiting to see him.  He crossed the passage and opened the door of his sitting-room.  Mrs. Mallinson was standing by the window.

CHAPTER XVI

She turned quickly as the door closed and took a step towards the centre of the room.  Drake perceived that she had a copy of the Meteor in her hand.  ‘You have seen this?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’  He remained by the door with his hand on the knob.

‘And you guessed who wrote it?’

‘I have been told.’  He answered her coldly and quietly.

‘I know what you think,’ she replied.  ’But it’s not true.  I never told him the story.  He knew it long ago—­before you went back to Matanga—­before I married him.’  Her voice took a pleading tone.  ’You will believe that, won’t you?’

’It never occurred to me that you had told him.  I know, in fact, who did.  But even if you had—­well, you had the right to tell him.’  Clarice gave a stamp of impatience.  ‘He is your husband.’

‘My husband!’ she interrupted, and she tore the newspaper across and dropped it on to the floor.  ’My husband!  Ah, I wouldn’t have believed that even he could have done a thing so mean.  And, to add to the meanness of it, he went away yesterday, for a week.  I know why, now; he dared not face me.’  Then of a sudden her voice softened.  ’But it’s my fault too, in a way,’ she went on.  ’He knew the story a long time ago, and never used it.  I don’t suppose he would have used it now, if I hadn’t—­since your election—­let him see—­’ She broke off the sentence, and took a step nearer to Drake.  ‘Stephen, I meant to let him see.’

Drake drew himself up against the door.  It would be no longer of any service to her, he thought, if he left England and returned to Matanga.  Something more trenchant was needed.

He reflected again that he filled no place which another could not fill, and the reflection took a wider meaning than it had done before.  ‘Yes,’ he said; ‘it’s very awkward that it should all come out just now.’

Clarice stared at him in perplexity.  ’Awkward that it should all come out,’ she repeated vaguely; and then, with an accent of relief, ’You mean that it will injure the Company?’

’Not so much that.  The Company can run without me—­quite well now—­I am certain of it.’  He spoke as though he was endeavouring to assure himself of what he said.