Carfax had hurried forward, shaken hands with Brereton, and turned to Avice while Brereton was making this rapid inspection.
"So here you are, Brereton--and this young lady, I suppose, is Miss Harborough?" he said, drawing a chair forward. "Glad you've come--and I daresay you're wondering why you've been sent for? Well--all in good time, but first--this gentleman is Mr. John Wraythwaite."
The big man started forward, shook hands hastily with Brereton, and turned more leisurely to Avice.
"My dear young lady!" he said. "I--I--the fact is, I'm an old friend of your father's, and--and it will be very soon now that he's all right--and all that sort of thing, you know! You don't know me, of course."
Avice looked up at the big, bearded figure and from it to Brereton.
"No!" she said. "But--I think it was you who sent that money to Mr. Brereton."
"Ah! you're anticipating, young lady!" exclaimed Carfax. "Yes--we've a lot of talking to do. And we'd better all sit down and do it comfortably. One moment," he continued, and turned away to the two men in the window, who, after a few words with him, left the room. "Now then--we'll do our first part of the business, Brereton!" he went on, as they all took seats at a table near the fire. "You, of course, don't know who this gentleman is?"
"Very good!" continued Carfax, rubbing his hands as if in enjoyment of the situation. "Then you've some interesting facts to hear about him. To begin with, he's the man who, when your client, this young lady's father, is brought up at these coming Assizes, will prove a complete _alibi_ on his behalf. In other words, he's the man with whom Harborough was in company during the evening and the greater part of the night on which Kitely was murdered."
"I thought so," said Brereton. He looked reflectively at Mr. Wraythwaite. "But why did you not come forward at once?" he asked.
"My advice--my advice!" exclaimed Carfax hastily. "I'm going to explain the reasons. Now, you won't understand, Brereton, but Miss Harborough, I think, will know what I mean, or she'll have some idea, when I say that this gentleman is now--now, mind you!--Mr. Wraythwaite of Wraye."
Avice looked up quickly with evident comprehension, and the solicitor nodded.