"Oh, very well," grumbled Aries.

"Here! I carry just a few things, of a personal nature--" His voice trailed away.

Egon Tamm said: "You can go home. Do not try to leave Araminta Station. I will deal with you when my mind is settled."

Aries turned and lurched away through the night. Egon Tamm and Milo returned to Riverview House. Way ness and Glawen were sitting on the couch, sipping the tea served by Cora Tamm.

Egon accepted a cup of tea, then turned a somber gaze upon Glawen.

"I am grateful for your timely help. But I am puzzled that you could be so ready at hand when the need arose."

"In other words," said Glawen, "why was I skulking around the neighborhood while your daughter was swimming in the nude?"

Egon Tamm smiled a wintry smile.

"You have a nice turn of phrase."

"You have a right to ask. If you recall, Sessily Veder was murdered."

"I remember very well."

"Aries became a prime suspect in the case, although nothing was definitely proved. When Wayness mentioned during class that she often walked alone by night, Aries showed extreme interest. Tonight I kept watch on him. He went up to his bedroom and departed by a secret way across the roof. I followed him up the beach, and along the path to the lake. I would have interfered sooner, except that I had to wait until I could safely come up behind him and bash him decisively. I am sorry if the delay brought extra travail to Wayness. That is your explanation."

Wayness took Glawen's arm and hugged it.

"I at least am grateful to Glawen."

"My dear, I am grateful too. But let me ask this: when Aries began to act in a suspicious manner, why not simply use the telephone and let me deal with the matter."

Glawen gave a rueful laugh.

"Sir, if I were to answer your question, you might think me rude. You must try to divine the answer for yourself."

"It seems to me that you are being unnecessarily cryptic," said Egon Tamm.

"Cora, do you understand his allusions?"

"Not in the slightest. Your suggestion seemed most sound."

Wayness laughed.

"But not from Glawen's point of view. Do you want to know why?"

"Of course!" said Cora Tamm.

"Why else should the question be asked?"

"Then I'll tell you. Glawen foresaw a conversation like this. Suppose Mother had answered the telephone. Glawen tries to find words to tell you that he thinks someone might be inclined to attack me. You say:

"What's all this nonsense again? Aren't you being just a bit excitable?"

"And Glawen says: "I don't think so, madame. This is my belief."

"So, after much cool skepticism and putting Glawen properly in his place, I am warned not to swim, and Father goes out to look up and down the beach. He carries his light, flashes it back and forth;

Aries sees him and goes home. Father finds nothing, and comes in disgruntled. He blames Glawen for his preposterous false alarms, and thereafter whenever Glawen's name is mentioned, someone says: "Oh, yes, that hysterical young man from Clattuc House." There is the answer to your question, and no doubt better that I should tell you than Glawen."

Egon Tamm looked sternly at Glawen.

"Is she correct in all this?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

Egon Tamm laughed, and his face became suddenly warm.

"In that case, it seems that we must mend our ways. I see now that you have handled yourself quite properly, and I truly am grateful to you."

"Say no more, sir. And now I will be going home. One last matter:

I hope that my name won't figure in the case, if only to make matters easier for me at Clattuc House."

"Your name will not be mentioned."

Wayness took Glawen to the door. She put her arms around him and hugged him.

"I won't even try to thank you."

"Of course not! Think how badly I would feel if something happened to you!"

"I'd feel even worse." On an impulse she turned up her face and kissed Glawen's mouth.

Glawen asked: "Is that just from gratitude?"

"Not entirely."

"Let's do it again, and you tell me which part is which."

"Mother is coming. She wants to know too. Goodnight, Glawen."

The time was an hour short of midnight. Aries arrived home to find Spanchetta waiting up for him. Aries, his attention fragmented, had not yet decided upon what should be his version of the night's events and so was forced to improvise a tale with Spanchetta's un winking stare fixed upon his face.

Spanchetta made no secret of her skepticism.

"Please, Aries, it is insulting to be lied to; it is even more insulting to be taken for a half-wit. I find your story bewildering. As I understand it, you had an appointment to meet a girl along the beach, where you intended to help her with her schoolwork. Who was the girl, incidentally? Not that awful Drusilla?"

"She's not awful and she doesn't go to school," muttered Aries.

"She's out doing promotional work for the Mummers."