His tone so resembled her mother's that all Sylvia's latent opposition and obstinacy were called into play.
"Have you any objection to my being here?" she asked.
"As I don't always warn you beforehand, I'm afraid a good many things I do must come as a surprise to you."
"No explanation is wanted. We can start level, and I needn't bother to explain my presence here."
Nigel hastened to welcome a seeming ally.
"I imagine Aintree could supply that," he said.
She drew herself suddenly erect in a pose that demanded his right to use such words. The vindictiveness of his tone and the jealousy of his expression warned her that the Seraph lay in formidable peril.
"I want to find what Aintree and his friends have done to my sister, and I suppose you have a little account to settle with him in respect of an uncomfortable few days you lately spent at Maidenhead."
"Do you imagine he had any hand in that?" she asked contemptuously.
"He knew where to look for you," was the significant answer, "and he found that out from the woman he's been hiding in these rooms. As it's too much trouble for him to find out where my sister is, I've called to gain that information from the lady herself."
"Oh, I admit I didn't see her. It may have been any one. But there's a very strong probability, and I'm going on that."
"Yes, I think I could have worked that out for myself."
"What are you going to do if you find no one?"
"If there's no woman now, the woman who got away was Miss Davenant. If Aintree has been harbouring Miss Davenant...." He paused delicately.
"I'm afraid he'll have some difficulty in persuading a judge not to sentence him to a considerable term of imprisonment."
"That is one of the regrettable but necessary preliminaries. _I_ shan't do anything."
"Not even that," he answered with supercilious patience. Then, seeing no profit in pursuing his conversation with Sylvia, he raised his voice to summon the detectives into the library. "We'll take this room first," he told her, "and then leave you undisturbed."
The detectives did not answer his summons immediately and he turned to fetch them from the hall. As he did so Sylvia saw him start with surprise. Two paces behind them, an unseen auditor of their conversation, stood Elsie Wylton. With a slight bow to Sylvia she entered the library and in the Seraph's interests requested Nigel to carry out his search as quickly and silently as possible.