His face wore still its passive expression of languid inquiry.
"He spoke of his visit to you," Brooks went on "in Canada, and he twice reiterated the fact that there was no other dwelling within fifty miles of you.

He said this upon his own authority, and upon the authority of his Indian guide.

Now it is only a few days ago since you spoke of my father as living for years within a few miles of you." Lord Arranmore nodded his head thoughtfully.
"Ah! And you found the two statements, of course, irreconcilable.
Well, go on!" Brooks found it difficult.

He was grasping a paperweight tightly in one hand, and he felt the rising colour burn his cheeks.
"I wrote to Mr.Lacroix," he said.
"A perfectly natural thing to do," Lord Arranmore remarked, smoothly.
And his answer is here! "Suppose you read it to me," Lord Arranmore suggested.
Brooks took up the letter and read it.
"TRAVELLERS' CLUB, December 10.
"DEAR SIR, "Replying to your recent letter, I have not the slightest hesitation in reaffirming the statement to which you refer.

I am perfectly convinced that at the time of my visit to Lord Arranmore on the bank of Lake Quo, there was no Englishman or dwelling-place of any sort within a radius of fifty miles.