The next day, Pyne writes to Lady Esther from his hotel room and encloses a cutting of his "personal" advert from "The Times". He duly receives a request to visit the woman and goes to her house. There they talk of England and Pyne talks at length of people, places and social events as frequented by all classes of people. Lady Esther is obviously pining for home but states that she can never return and Pyne tells her that he knows the reason why. He takes her through the story of the German pilot and asks if she would receive him. Lady Esther refuses and he accuses her of play-acting – but not to cover up a murder. He knows that she is the companion – Muriel King – and that it was Lady Esther who died, not the other girl. Muriel tells of the real sequence of events. Lady Esther was jealous of Herr Schlagal's infatuation with Muriel and turned on her in her madness. She fell by accident and, terrified of being accused of her murder, Muriel put the breakfast tray down by the body and adopted her identity, refusing to see anyone in case they spotted the substitution. The new consul was one of the people who had never met the real Lady Esther and therefore wasn't suspicious. Pyne knew something was wrong when he heard of Lady Esther's "dark, flashing eyes" knowing that her parents were both blue-eyed. His talk of England confirmed his suspicions – the supposed titled lady in front of him didn't react to stories of high society events but her face showed how much she missed the everyday life of ordinary people. He promises to help her convince people of her innocence and affect a reunion with Herr Shlagal.