Alice seemed to have forgotten the other secret.  She searched his face for a moment, deeply troubled, then asked: 

‘Willis, I want to know who Clara is?’

He moved his eyes slowly, and regarded her with a puzzled look.

‘Clara?  What Clara?’

’Somebody you know of.  You’ve got a habit of talking in your sleep lately.  You were calling out “Clara!” last night, and that’s the second time I’ve heard you.’

He was absent for a few seconds, then laughed and shook his head.

‘I don’t know anybody called Clara.  It’s your mistake.’

‘I’m quite sure it isn’t,’ Alice murmured discontentedly.

‘Well, then, we’ll say it is,’ he rejoined in a firmer voice.  ’If I talk in my sleep, perhaps it’ll be better for you to pay no attention.  I might find it inconvenient to live with you.’

Alice looked frightened at the threat.

‘You’ve got a great many secrets from me,’ she said despondently.

’Of course I have.  It is for your good.  I was going to tell you one just now, only you don’t seem to care to bear it.’

‘Yes, yes, I do!’ Alice exclaimed, recollecting.  ’Is it something about Adela?’

He nodded.

’Wouldn’t it delight you to go and get her into a terrible row with Dick?’

‘Oh, do tell me!  What’s she been doing?’

‘I can’t quite promise you the fun,’ he replied, laughing.  ’It may miss fire.  What do you think of her meeting Eldon alone in the wood that Monday afternoon, the day after she found the will, you know?’

‘You mean that?’

‘I saw them together.’

‘But she—­you don’t mean she—?’

Even Alice, with all her venom against her brother’s wife, had a difficulty in attributing this kind of evil to Adela.  In spite of herself she was incredulous.

‘Think what you like,’ said Rodman.  ‘It looks queer, that’s all.’

It was an extraordinary instance of malice perpetrated out of sheer good-humour.  Had he not been assured by what he heard in the wood of the perfectly innocent relations between Adela and Eldon, he would naturally have made some profitable use of his knowledge before this.  As long as there was a possibility of advantage in keeping on good terms with Adela, he spoke to no one of that meeting which he had witnessed.  Even now he did not know but that Adela had freely disclosed the affair to her husband.  But his humour was genially mischievous.  If he could gratify Alice and at the same time do the Mutimers an ill turn, why not amuse himself?

‘I’ll tell Dick the very first thing in the morning!’ Alice declared, aglow with spiteful anticipation.

Rodman approved the purpose, and went off to bed laughing uproariously.

CHAPTER XXVIII