Georgie was utterly mystified: his Riseholme instinct told him that
there was something below all this, but his Riseholme instinct could
not supply the faintest clue as to what it was. Both of the Quantocks,
it seemed clear, knew something perilous about the Princess, but surely
if Daisy had read in the paper that the Princess had been exposed and
fined, she would not have touched on so dangerous a subject. Then the
curious incident about "Todd's News" inevitably occurred to him, but
that would not fit the case, since it was Robert and not Daisy who had
bought that inexplicable number of the yellow print. And then Robert
had hinted at the discovery of yards and yards of muslin and a false
nose. Why had he done that unless he had discovered them, or unless ...
Georgie's eyes grew round with the excitement of the chase ... unless
Robert had some other reason to suspect the integrity of the dear
friend, and had said this at hap-hazard. In that case what was Robert's
reason for suspicion? Had _he_, not Daisy, read in the paper of
some damaging disclosures, and had Daisy (also having reason to suspect
the Princess) alluded to the damaging exposures in the paper by pure
hap-hazard? Anyhow they had both looked dead and stuffed when the other
alluded to mediumistic frauds, and both had said how lucky their own
experiences had been. "Oh!"--Georgie almost said it aloud--What if
Robert had seen a damaging exposure in "Todd's News," and therefore
bought up every copy that was to be had? Then, indeed, he would look
dead and stuffed, when Daisy alluded to damaging exposures in the
paper.
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