Lessingham, to place certain information
before you, and to ask, unofficially, of course, if you have any
explanation to give? You may even," he went on, hesitatingly,
"appreciate the motives which led me to do so."
"My dear man, what explanation could I have?" Philippa protested,
"it is an absolute and undeniable fact that Mr. Lessingham was at
Magdalen with my brother, and also that he visited us at Wood
Norton. I know both these things of my own knowledge. The only
possible explanation, therefore, is that you have been misinformed."
"Or," Captain Griffiths ventured, "that Mr. Hamar Lessingham in
those days passed under another name."
"Another name?" Philippa faltered.
"Some such name, perhaps," he continued, "as Bertram Maderstrom."
There was a short silence. Captain Griffiths had leaned back in
his chair and was caressing his upper lip. His eyes were fixed
upon Philippa and Philippa saw nothing. Her little heel dug hard
into the carpet. In a few seconds the room ceased to spin.
Nevertheless, her voice sounded to her pitifully inadequate.
"What an absurdity all this is!" she exclaimed.
"Maderstrom," Captain Griffiths said thoughtfully, "was, curiously
enough, an intimate college friend of your brother's. He was also
a visitor at Wood Norton Hall. At neither place is there any trace
of Mr.
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