"Louise Lambert? Why, yes! He introduced her to me once. She is, I understand, the adopted daughter of a man named Benton, an intimate friend of old Mr. Henfrey."
"Has he ever told you anything concerning her?"
"Nothing much. Why?"
"He has never told you the conditions of his father's will?"
"Never--except that he has been left very poorly off, though his father died in affluent circumstances. What are the conditions?"
The mysterious stranger paused for a moment.
"Have you, of late, formed an acquaintance of a certain Mrs. Bond, a widow?"
"I met her recently in South Kensington, at the house of a friend of my mother, Mrs. Binyon. Why?"
"How many times have you met her?"
"Two--or I think three. She came to tea with us the day before we came up here."
"H'm! Your mother seems rather prone to make easy acquaintanceships--eh? The Hardcastles were distinctly undesirable, were they not?--and the Jameses also?"
"Why, what do you know about them?" asked the girl, much surprised, as they were two families who had been discovered to be not what they represented.
"Well," he laughed. "I happen to be aware of your mother's charm--that's all."
"You seem to know quite a bit about us," she remarked. "How is it?"
"Because I have made it my business to know, Miss Ranscomb," he replied. "Further, I would urge upon you to have nothing to do with Mrs. Bond."
"Why not? We found her most pleasant. She is the widow of a wealthy man who died abroad about two years ago, and she lives somewhere down in Surrey."
"I know all about that," he answered in a curious tone. "But I repeat my warning that Mrs. Bond is by no means a desirable acquaintance. I tell you so for your own benefit."
Inwardly he was angry that the woman should have so cleverly made the acquaintance of the girl. It showed him plainly that Benton and she were working on a set and desperate plan, while the girl before him was entirely ignorant of the plot.
"Now, Miss Ranscomb," he added, "I want you to please make me a promise--namely, that you will say nothing to a single soul of what I have said this evening--not even to your friend, Mr. Henfrey. I have very strong reasons for this. Remember, I am acting in the interests of you both, and secrecy is the essence of success."
"I understand. But you really mystify me. I know you are my friend," she said, "but why are you doing all this for our benefit?"
"In order that Hugh Henfrey may return to your side, and that hand in hand you may be able to defeat your enemies."