Denbighshire Free Press

CHAPTER IV. HJ&RFTED IS BRED BY SUCC0S8, AJWBESTOWBD BY FAILURE. Two months have passed by, and Mr. Gallim, with his charming bride, is in pos- session of the mansion which has been been bought for a large sum, and furnished with all the magnificence that art and luxury can suggest. Thero is not one visible blot on the, horizon of Lady feita Gallira I w happiness, and she flits about like a gay little butterfly which believes the present sunshine will last for ever. Cyrus, too, is perfectly contented. He is fond of money for what it can procure, and he spends it so lavishly that his wife laugh- ingly challenges him to find anything more that she can possibly require. "If it were the last coin I had," is his smiling rejoinder, "I should want to spend it on you, and I never cease mentally thanking my. good angel for waiuiug his own claims upon you. Your good angel ? Who is he ? "The Earl of Broadwater, to be sure. If he had proved obstinately tenacious of his rights, I could never have won you for my wife. But he retired so conveniently that I ahall always call him my good angel." Lady Leita's pretty forehead puckers up to a contemplative frown, as she says theaghtfuHy "Do you knowt Cyrus, I don't feel too confident about the Earl of Broad- water. He professed to be glad of his release* from me "Senseless idiot! He didn't know, what he was losing." "As F observed, he prcfeesed to be glad of fcis release, and I thought at the time that he had an affinity clse\/here.«. L But, up to date, he appear.* to be absolutely unattached." "Well ? --r-jr "Well, I can't half*wondering if he Merely i cloaked! his feelinks, ISO tMat I might not know how keenly he was iWouBded^. -To tell the truth, he is so unnaturally amiable about the whole affair that I fancy he is not to be trusted." f "My dear little woman," \vfcat1 harm' can he do us, even if he cherish ill feeling towards as ? None whatever, so you may make your mind easy on that score. Over and above my conviction that there is nothing to "worry about, there is my eertainty that. rfoftody can feel more friendly tleWltds us 'tftan does Wyn ford, Earl of Broadwater. Lady Leita is silenced, but not coiinriliCBd,. and it is with a faintly dawning uneasiness that she notes the growth of intimacy betwixt her husband and her former lover. Not that Lord Broadwater pointedly obtrudes the,pitst upon her recollection, for he studiously, Avoids doing so. But when he becomes an intimate guest of her,hf'.l#JMtd'I;'turningup at the: house on eachrahd eJvery possible oooa- aion, the position strikes her as an unnatural one. Indeed, her instinct warn^ her that Cyrus i» encouraging an .enemy irijj the guise of a, friend. But Gyrus regards herfears as grbund- lata, and, thin being so, she ^ceasies tO mention them. Besides, the girl is a born hostess; and Would not willingly h rude to-anybody ander her roof. So the danger grows daily, and insidious gossip begins to comment on!lht"fact that Lord Brpa*!fator .ftwnfcr to find eat delight in the society of his former fiancie. Cyrus Gallira and his beautiful wife are. the tint to learn that slander is in the air, for, how are they to guess that the Earl has care- bdly fostered certain unpleasant inferences of which nobody knows the origin so well as he does ? x- Ifullo, Broadwater! what -do,witit yourself this afterftoOn ?"-Id. ISLtypimt inquiry which greets .him at the cli^fc "I'm going to have a Ilttte chat wijdii LjMly; Eeita Gallim," is the calm reply. "She .Vi-ised',to spare, me an1 hour." "VeryMnd of her, considering everything." "So I think." "You still enjoy her society i "Immensely Who wo 'lldn't "Well, I'ja not so sure that I'should if I. Wereyou. -I" "My dear Ashoifer, if you vrttie me you: I would be less able,to resist the littte'beauty's I hrlli8 than ever., She grows iaorebewitcfrihg I every day." I It It is evidently a pity that. she, did not I marry you." I "On the contrary, I'm thoroughlytistied I with existing arrangements, and so is she. I How it will be eventually with'tho loveblind I millionaire is more than I'can say." I A conteraptuods laugh accompanies this ■ screech, and the Hon. Cyril Ashovef, being: ■ by no means of- a chivairoua nature, laughs. I also. Some men would Have paid 'th' Earl of H Broadwater for his vile insiniXafions by ■ knocking him down. The HOIK Cyril prefers I to make the most of what he hatt heard, and ■ he spends much of his time in 'rtarrating ■ certain statements which my friend >Brdad- ■ Water made to are himself ■ TbeRe, as in UBual" with wicked innuendoes, ■ grow in the tailing, and a -gt-eat many sooiety ■ people are predicting an open csclandre when it ■ transpires that the Onilimft-am about to give, ■ the most brilliant reception that has been. ■ seen in London for many a day. ■ It is the "off" season, when few people are still supposed to be in town. But there. ■ is an asfcomfching number of acceptances, and Several country houses are denuded of their visitors-, so that they may sample the hospi- H Y-of-a multi-millionaire. Lady .Leita1 s brother, the Earl of Tulkmg- lbtwyi is -amusing himself on the Continent. But: "Aunt Bessie" gladly lends her advice i and help, and as Mr. Gallim has given carte blanch* to everybody whose wares or taileftta are to be used on the eventful evening, the H young wife has few misgivings concerning the success of her first appearance as a hostess on a huge sealfe. The result justifies her expectations injinost respects. The furnishing is magnificent. THe decorations are exquioiie, The music is perfect. The,esitering is unsurpassed. The ■ dromwo-re am gorgeous as they are fashionable, And all the guests look aa if they had been transported to EJygium. But them is -a, "sarpeht in the grass," and ■ When ereiything.looks happjeBt, the venomous H eeptite is preparing to sfafike its-fatal blow, ■ Borne of the -gtleilts we-ftdinlramitfimnent H in tho billiard room, Whither they have H been attracted by rumours of the moat-spl endid billiard Uble ever built. Perhaps the special b«Set, with its small army of waiters, is ■ additional attraction to some, for there are H many men loitering here who haw no ^dtesire H to test the actual capabilities of the tame. H Amongst these is the Barl of Broadwiater, H who has his own reasons for loitering amongst H the men" who are most likely to serve an infamous purpose which be means to carry out On the first favourable opportunity. The Hon. Cyril Ashover is enjoying hitn- Self. He likes to pose as a favourite-amangst women. But he prefers the society of men i" it accompanied by unlimited refreshments at somebody else's expense, and Mr. Galliim is not the kind of man to stint his guests of anything they may desire in that line. Unfortunately for many people, the Hon. Cyril can never worship Baochus, even at a moderate distance, without permitting his tongue td run away w4th his discretion, and, as he is one of the most ill-natured gossips it is possible to meet,, it follows that more than one repwtotion has been t6rn to shreds through him. The Hon. Cyril shews bad taste in discusBing anybody adversely this evening, when both host and hostess are doing all they can to promote general harmony and satisfaction. But he pans03 the pale of decency when he snfiers at the very persons whose hospitality he is making the most of, and Lord Broad- water smiles triumphantly, for events are Shaping thet^selves exactly to his likine. mou >VOUIUHT, rmnic mere was anything [ wrong between our millionaire and his lovely lrife, would you ? mutters the gossip to Lieutenant Bayne, a young naval officer to whom he has attached himself pro. tew. "Sir, I fail to understand you!" is the lieutenant's contemptuous rejoinder, and the Hon. Cyril feels himself for the moment at a discount. But he soon reaovers his usual malevolencei and as he is burning to com- municate certain boasts which Lord Broad- water has made to him, he seeks a more sympathetic ear for his revelations. "Perrott, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong between our millionaire and his lovely wife, would you ? he repeats, this time addressing a man whose lack of taste and gratitude are almost equal to his own. Perrott immediately shews vivid interest. "If I hadn't already heard something to that effect," he says, cheerfully-as if the ruin of domestic happiness were a topic to be pleased about—"if I hadn't already heard something to that effect, I might think things as rosy as they seem. But I wasn't born yesterday, and I never met a pretty woman yet who eould resist outside admiration if it were offered her. "Well, you can't pity Gallim. In fact, I think it serves him right. The discarded lover himself told me that Lady Leita was persuaded by her brother to throw him over in favour of the millionaire, and that she has repented ever since. He says that she is ready to join him whenever he chooses to give the word." You liar! "cries a furious voice. "You liar! By Heaven, I'll choke you for that! The speakcras Cyrus Gallim, who has come into the billiard-room to make sure that all is well with his guests therein, and who has been turned almost ntad by the Hon. Cyril's last speech, which hn, forct.d itself upon his notice while he has bwen waiting to push his way through the crowded room. There is instant and wild commotion, for the infuriated husband has lost sight of everv- thing except that his wife has been subjected to deadly insult, and only the quick inter- vention of many hands prevents him from wreaking his vengeance on the contemptible cur who could voice soeh a slander. "He is not worth touching by you," says Lieutenant Bayne. "Nobody believes the vile words he has repeated. But even if they did, the man who first uttered them is most responsible. Still, it will be best to take things quietly at present. Afterwards, matters can be settled without taking all the world into your confidence." The advice is good. But Cyrus Gallim is too angry to take it. "The man who could betray my hospitality by slandering my wife may perhaps be too low a cur for me to touch, but that consideration shall net weigh with me if I get the chance of punishing him." The Hon. Cyril has shrunk as far away from Cyrus as he can get, and would fain leave the house altogether while he is still intact. But the outraged husband is not the only angry man present, and firm hands restrain the Manderer from going away until he has given some sort of an explanation. "Your authority for what you have said ? Your authority, you scoundrel ?" demands the young lieutenant. "Scoundrel in your teeth, sir is the vicious reply; "Who are you, a beggarly junior officer, that you should dare to speak to me like that ? A violent shaking at the hands of the "beggarly junior officer brings the Honour- able Cyril7 partly to his senses again. "Yourauthority ? Of fcohrfcd ytm'Kave none, so L for one will whip you when I get you outside." "So will I," adds a bystander, and there is now one person who heartily wishes himself elsewhere than in the house of Cyrus Gallim. "I think it's just abominable Lto corner a fellow like this," he whimpers. "How can Ií help it, if what Broadwater told me was a lie ? "Broadwater" fold you what I overheard yon !«aytftg just new ? shouts Cyrus. And to him is given the trembling answer: "I swear he did, not once, but every day, for weeks past. It has been his open boast that he came to see her ladyship." There is dead silence after this speech, broken only by the gasping breath of the iiaacHlened husband, who has ceased struggling 'tb'rêach his contbmptible guest, but whose eyes blaze like live coals. "Then Broadwater -shall tawawerto me this very night. He was here awhile, ago, and it wili'not tatfe the lohjg to fiild'him." G sayar-this,-in -a <iutkaasly calm voice, and. turns to quit the billiard-room. A blank look,of dismay follows him, for there is not a shadow of doubt that he means to exact, fitting vengeance for the insult that has been given. But'somebody observes that Lord Broad- water has probably already left-the house, and. the fear-of an immediate reprisal is averted. Nevertheless. uneaaino&vreigns rampant when 'it is ascertained that neither'of the men is to be found The one, it would seem, has hurried off as soon as the commotion in the billiard-room, arose. And the other, breathing deadly ven- geance, has followed him. By-and-bye, most of the guests have departed, and only a few intimate friends, iricluding "Aunt Bessie," remain to do what they can for the young hostess whose recep- tion has come to such' a disastrous end. But whether it be Lady Leita herself, or whether it, be any one of the scores of guests who have attended the reception at Buckingham G&te, they are all asking themselves the same question; "NMat, will be the outcome of this night's work,

CHAPTER V. RADY, LrtTA TAKES TTP THE STOftYi I shall never forget the awful'fear which besets me when I am told of what has happened in the billiard-room on the night of bur ill-fated reception. Cyrus is the best man in the world. But he is of a quick, fierce temper, and the provocation he has received is of altogether so gross and unexpected a nature that it is no wonder he has temporarily lost his head. He loves me devotedly, and my happiness is his constant study. What wonder, there- fore, that my life and hopes are bound: up in him, and that to lose him would be a fate more dreadful than I dare think of ? I would have sacrificed much to have averted the culmination of Lord Broadwater's vengeance. But though I have distrusted him all the time, how was I to guess that he wMmchem- ing to disgrace me in my own home, or that Cyrus himself should overhear the slander with which our enemy had primed one of his contemptible associates ? Yat, though I could not foresee the form which1 malevolent vengeance would assume, I am not blind-to. the fearful possibilities of an encounter between Cyrus and my traducer. And I pray Heaven to avert that meeting until my husband's aoager has abated sufficiently to enable him to act with more restraint and wisfdom than can be expected while he is in his-present state of wild excicfeiwent. Perhaps our numerous guefits Will consider themselves not too well treated. But, after hearing that Lord' Broadwater had fled from the house, with Cyrus almost at hie heels, I haw been incapable of anything but to yield myself to the fears of the moment, and it is a mercy that Aunt Bessie, to whom Cyrus has now offered a permanent home, is here to smooth matters over a little. The house is at last emptied of guests, I Mimi Selwyn being the only one who has considered herself sufficiently privileged to decide to remain until she is sure that I no longer need her comforting presence. The lights have mostly been put out, the caterers and their men have departed; and even our household servants, with the exception of my maid and my husband's valet, have gone to bed. But though time wears on, and every tainute does but increase my anxiety, there is no sign of my dear one's return, Annabel makes a brave effort to keep awake all the time. But she has had a long day, and, though she is more than willing to sit up all night if necessary, I send her off to bed. Gaskell, the valet, is wakeful enough. He is much attached to his master, to whom he owes his rescue from a life of abject poverty, and he wanders up and down the stairs in the constant hope that there will be the anxiously expected knock at the front door. At last he comes and knocks at my boudoir door, and Aunt Bessie, herself the picture of distress, opens it for him. "Mrs. Galway," he says, "will you please ask her ladyship if she minds my going out to see if I can find the master ? He may be at his club, or he may not be far off. But I think he will come home at once, as soon as he guesses that her ladyship is anxious about him. 11 Gxslcell, come in a minute, I call out, my voice quavering so strangely that I hardly know it myself. "Come in a minute, and tell me what Mr. Gailim was wearing when he went out. Surely he put something over his evening coat ?" "Yes, milady," is Gaskell's subdued reply. "I asked John the same question, and he said that the master wore his black vicuna overcoat, the one he wore yesterday, when he was out with Lord Broadwater. It was downstairs in the small cloak-room, and the master snatched it off the peg and put it on as he ran out of the house." I am relieved of the fear that Cyrus may be wandering about too thinly clad, and that he may therefore catch his death of cold. But my alarm in other directions is by no means mitigated, for everything points to the fact that just resentment has temporarily deprived him of all self-control. "And I may go now ? is the valet's query. Yes, go at once." But about the door, milady ? I promised John tli -,it I would attend to it until the master was in." "Never mind the door," interposes Mimi Selwyn. "If anybody rings or knocks, I will let them in." ) So Gaskell hurries off, and we three women spend the next hour in a state of indescribable suspense. Then the bell rings, and I utter a cry of thankful relief, for surely this must be Cyrus at last! Mimi begins to run downstairs to open the door. But I am quicker than she, and I have drawn the great latch before she reaches the bottom of the stairs. Alas! it is not Cyrus, but Gaskell, who has returned, and I see by his pale, startled face that he has no good news for nse. 11 What is it ? I gasp. "Have you seen Mr. Gallim ?." "No, milady," answers Gaskell, stopping slowly into the wide hall, as if he were reluctant to face my anxiety again." I have not seen the master ? "But somebody else has ? Who is it? And where is he now ? .L "I cannot say, milady, where the master is. But he was seen at two o'clock, by the policeman on the beat, walking towarcfc Westminster." "How does the policeman know it was Mr. Gallim ? Because I described what he wore—even- ing dress, with a crush hat and a black over- coat. I also mentioned that he is a tall, well- built gerttleman, of fttii4 complexion, and clean shaven. "Was he alone ? Gaskell is apparently reluctant to tell me more. But I am determined to hear every- thing, and insist upon a reply to my last question. "No, milady," he says. "He was with the Earl of Broadwater." Are you sure ? "The policeman is, because he knows his lordship by sight." This news is dreadfully disquieting, for that which I have dreaded has' evidently come to pass, and Cyrus has overtaken the man upon whom he has sworn vengeance. And at two o'clock! It is now four, and my husband has not returned. Where can he be all this time ? And what has been the result of the interview between the two enemies ? I almost faint with fear, and both Aunt Bessie and my friend Mimi urge me to go upstairs at once. But there is one otlier ^juestion"Which I feel it necessary to put, and I will not let Gaskell go until he has answered it. "The policeman told you that he saw Mr. Gallim and Lord Broadwater walking towards Westminster together. Did be tell you whether they were talking to each other or not ? "Yes, milady, they were talking together." "Angrily ? "The policeman says they were both very excited, and that Mr. Gallim seemed to be threatening his lordship. It was because they were quarrelling that ho Srst noticed them." I seem almost to know the worst now, and it is a well-nigh distraught woman who staggers upstairs and spends the next few hours pacing wildly.about her bedroom floor. The night gives place to dawn. And dawn merges into daylight. Yet there is still no sign of my misfiing husband, and I can tell, by the subdued manner of friends-arid servants alike, that my fears are shared by each and all of them. I Both Aunt Bessie and Mimi Selwyn are fain to lie down and rest awhile. But I cannot be still a minute, for I am acutely alert for the least sound which shall tell me that my anxious vigil is over. Early tradesmen can already be heard going their morning rounds, and they more than once mislead. me into thinking that my suspense is at length happily ended. Annabel, as is her usual custom, brings me a morning cup of tea. This special morning it is brought unusually early. But though I have neither eaten nor drunk anything since last night, I am in no mood for anything yet. "No, I cannot take it," I say, wearily. "And don't worry about me. If Mr. Gallim is safe, I shall soon be all right. Listen I believe he is here." This time I have made no mistake! It is Cyrus who has been admitted, in answer to a turbulent knocking at the door. And it is Cyrus who strides wearily upstairs. And it is my husband into whose arms I am presently gathered. My thankfulness is beyond measure. But the strain of suspense has been so great that I break, into a perfect passion of sobs, which are presently checked because I cannot help noticing that Cyrus is now most unnaturally calm. r Looking up at him I see that which makes me shiver, for it must be a fierce storm of emotion which could leave such an impression on the face which I regarded, with the utmost pride onry yesterday. "Cyrus," I murmur* "you ore not angry with me ? "Angnr with you, my darling ? Heaven forbid that I should ever feel anything but devotion for you! You are the star of my life, and the mere attempt to dim your lustre has almost driven me mad." "But it is all over now, dearest. We have faith in each other, no matter what anybody else may say. Above all, you have returned to me, safe and well." "Safe? Yes, I am safe. But at what a cost! Great Heaven, at what a cost! My husband's voice is hoarse, and, glancing into his eyes, I see reflected therein such a strange look as makes me tremble with dread of I know not what. Is the thing I fear past ? Or is it still to come ? "Safe," he mutters again. "Safe. But at what a cost! and my heart turns sick within me, for I am seized by a conviction that the words refer to something that has taken place during the night. Looking anxiously at Cyrus, I note that he bears many traces of his nocturnal exposure. His face is drawn and haggard, and his collar is all awry. His white evening tie has been torn loose, and his clothes are bespattered with mud. Indeed, his coat looks as if he had had a fall, for there is a great patch of mud on the back of it. Mud ? Is that only mud ? Or is it some- thing much more gruesome ? I dare not look at it again, but I notice that the coat is torn, end that a piece of-thb cltoth Is hanging loose. Cyrus sees me glance at his coat, and he looks with astonishing cahnness ab me, though I feel sure that horror is shining from my eyes. f "My dear girl," he says, tenderly, "I am greatly to blame for giving you such a night of anxiety. But I felt that I was not in a fit state of mind to come home earlier than I did. However, you may set your mind at1 rest, for I intend to iidttle-the whole affair on a rational basis. I've been1 wondering for hours what to do for the best,' and the* plan I have formed will put an end to-all last night's mischief. Gaskell!" Gaskell, who has been, holding himself ready for a summons, entwra the room we are now in at once, and takes the top-coat which is handed to him. ".Here. clear this out," says Cyus. "I've finished its career, I think, and will not wear it again. Is my bath ready ? An answer is given in the affirmative, and seeing that Cyrus is rapidly assuming his normal manner. I tell myself that my fears have been exaggerated, and that I need no longer deny myself the rest I am needing so badly. A few minutes later, dressed still in my dainty morning-gown, I lie down on the couch in my boudoir and fall fast asleep. How long I have slept I know not. But the day must be pretty far advanced, for the sun has passed my windows, and I am just reproaching myself for being remiss, when I hear the tramping of many strange feet. Rising hurriedly, I see that Cyrus has been sitting beside me, and that he is frowning with vexation because of the noise which is being made. "1 wonder what is the matter ? I murmur, sleepily. Oh, they have wakened you already ? I meant to have stopped them before they disturbed you. I suppose some of last night's litter is being removed, but I can't have the work gone about so carelessly." Cyrus is evidently only concerned to main tain my comfort. But I have barely time to thank him for/ this affectionate solicitude on my account, when the door of the room is unceremoniously opened, and several men enter. The very sight of them inspires me with dread, and I utter a cry of terror when the foremost of the men steps up to Cyrus and says, in a loud voice: Mr. Cyrus Gallim, I arrest you on the charge of murdering the Earl of Broadwater!

CHAPTER VI. ONE AGAINST THE WORLD. I do not faint, although for a moment everything sounds far away, and the room seems to swim round me. There is a buzzing sound which confuses me until the cloud lifts itself from my senses again,, and I find myself listening to what Cyrus is saying. "The murder of Lord Broadwater?" he repeats. You must be mad "Oh no, I'm not mad, sir. I am here on the errand I mentioned, and I caution you against saying anything that may be used against you at the trial." "Trial for what ? "For the murder of Lord Broadwater." "Rubbish! He is as much alive as you are. I saw him myself between two and three o'cloelc this morning. Young as J am, and certain as I am that Cyrus would take no unfair advantage of anybody, I am fully alive to the fact that he has just made a fatal admission. The police officer also recognises the importance of what he has just heard, and says significantly: "If anybody else has seen the Earl since then, it may be a good thing for you, sir. If not, it will rest with you to prove that he is still alive. Anyhow, it looks as if he was dead. But you must come with us now." No, no 1 gasp. It is monstrous to say that Mr. Gallim would kill anybody. You shall not take him away." Of course, my puny resistance counts for nothing with the police. But Cyrus, almost dazed though he now is with the shoek of such a frightful accusation, kisses me gratefully. "You don't believe I would murder any- body, do you, darlitig ? lie Whimpers. "You are innocent of all blame," I protest, and though I am now crying bitterly, there can be no doubt of my absolute faith in my husband's honour. "If anything has really happened to Lord Broadwater, he has only had himself to blame for it." "Bless you for that, my faithful little champion," says Cyrus, and I regain courage myself when I notice that he is speaking firmly, after the manner of a man who sees daylight ahead. "When this shadow has passed away I shall spend all my days in trying to prov% my gratitude to you." There is no further scene. Cyrus intimates that he is-ready to depart. And I \tfatch him go, without relaxing the smile of encourage- ment with which I-have determined to cheer him on his way. But he has no sooner gone'" than I break down altogether, and both Aunt Besisie and Mimi Selwyn find it a hard task to con- sole me, especially as their own distress is very great. I have been in terror for hours, lest mischief should be the outcome of a meeting between Cyrus and the man who has outraged his hospitality. But it is for my husband that I have feared, and I know that, what- ever may have happened to Lord Broadwater, it is Wot the result of foul play by Cyrus. Yet it would appear that a tragedy of some sort has occurred, and after my wits have cleared themselves a little, I burn to know exactly what foundation there is for the arrest that has been made. So I tell Arto&bel to bring me the daily papers, and, notwithstanding Aunt Bessie's well-meant remonstrances, I settle .down to a deliberate perusal of all the information that is available. When I begin reading it is with a rooted conviction that an extraordinary mistake has been made, and that Cyrus will soon emerge triumphant from the danger which has over- taken him. But as I read on and on, grasping one terrible proof after another, my heart turns very sick within me. My own faith in Cyrus is as great as ever. But how can I hope to make other people look at things with my eyes ? Here are some extracts from an account dealing with the sudden disappearance lof oar renegade guest: "SUSPECTED MURDER OF LoRD- BROADWATER. "SENSATIONAL ARREST. "There has beea a startling and tragio development of the great reception held last night at Buckingham Gate by Mr. Cyrus Gallim, the multi-millionaire, and his newly- wedded bride, Lady Leita, sister of the present Earl of Tulkingbury. During the course of the evening, in consequence of some- thing said by one of the guests, Mr. Gallim became furious with rage, and left the house, vowing immediate vengeanoe upon the originator of a scandalous statement com- municated by the Earl of Broadwater to the guest in question. His lordship, becoming aware of the scene which begoln- in the billiard-room of the Gallim mansion, hurriedly made his departure a few minutes before his host. The next that was seen of him was when he was going towards Westminster at 2 a.m. He was accompanied by Mr. Gallim, and both men were talking angrily. When he did not return to his chambers later 'in the day, his servants became alarmed, and, hearing of what had taken place last night, his valet communicated with the police, who had already made ominous discoveries. Two men were seen struggling on Westminster Bridge, by a policeman who was too far off at the time to interfere. It was also too dark for him to see clearly,'and when he reached the place of the struggle, both men had disappeared. But the police-conjstable found several evidences of the struggle, amongst these being a piece of cloth, ap- parently torn out of an overcoat. There was also a diamond stud, on the back of which are the initials C. G. and a silver cigarette fcase, engraved with the crest and name of the Bar! of Broadwater. "Two bargees heard the splash of a heavy falling body, which must have come from Westminster Bridge itself, at half-past two o'clock, the time tallying with that givpn by the constable. But though every possible search has been made, both in the river and ashore, and though the Earl's crush hat has been found floating on the water, no trace of his body can be found, and it is believed to have been washed out to sea by the unusually high tide. "Suspicion immediately fell upon Mr. Gallim, and he was arrested at his own home this morning, whither he had returned in a dishevelled condition, and with his clothes bearing every sign of having been in a struggle. He had been out several hours of the night, after announcing his intention of punishing the Earl for what he had said. "Of course, there is a possibility that Lord Broadwater may still be alive. But it is pointed out that he has made several important appointments for this forenoon, not one of which he has kept, and little hope is enter- tained of bis. xafetv." "inat is all. But it vjh t.i condemn Cyrus in the eyes of all the world, l'C'Jpt my- self, and even I canuot disguise from myself the certainty that my husband and my former lover must have come to blows while on t Westminster Bridge together. It even looks as though Cyrus, having dealt a fatal blow", had thrown his enemy's body over the parapet of the bridge, hoping thereby to dispose of the ghastliest evidence of all against himself. That, is my inward terrilied conviction, will be nearly everybody's opinion. But it is not mine. For do I not know my dear husband too well to believe thac he would play the coward ? Certainty he intended to punish Lord Broadwater. But any husband, feeling his wife's honour at stake, would have been equally determined to vindicate it. Even if the two men came to blows, and even if Cyrus was unfortunate enough to deal a fatal one, lie would have done his best to repair the mischief by sum- moning a doctor, instead of throwing the body into the river, thus making recovery quite impossible. Besides, if he were bent upon removing proofs of a crime, why did he not bring away the evidences of which the police will make such convincing use ? Clearly, there is some awful, inexplicable mystery. But though I try to unravel it, I am baffled at almost every point by the grins array of adverse proof which stares me in the face, and I can think of nothing, which wil negative its importance. Nevertheless, nothing can shake my owil confidence in Cyrus. No doubt he encountered and quarrelled with Lord Broadwater. But if the latter has been murdered, it is by some- body who saw him after Cyrus left him. And as I feel sure that my husband is as innocent of a foul crime as I am myself, it follows that some other man must be the guilty one. It must be my business to find out who the other man is.

CHAPTER VII. A FORLORN HOPE. Of what avail is a woman's faith, if it has no visible means of support ? It would seem that mine is universally regarded as nothing more than the emanation of a. brain which has been turned by trouble. For, as the days wear on, there is a constant increase of apparent proof of my husband's guilt, and even my brother, who has hurriedly returned to London on receipt of the dreadful tidings, can see no loophole of escape. He seems to reproach himself severely for his share in what has taken place, and I gather, in the course of many conversations, that his statement concerning the girl whom Lord Broadwater was supposed to have left to die of a broken heart, after marrying her clandestinely, was culpably overdrawn, "To tell the truth," he admits, shame- facedly, "I was so anxious for you to become the possessor of millions that I adopted unscrupulous means of bringing about the result I Wanted. There certainly was a marriage between the then Sir Wynford and a boarding-house keeper's daughter. But it was he who was deceived, not the girl. It trans- pired that she already had a husband living, and though she was certainly in love with the baronet, he could not be blamed for leaving her, even though her grief at losing him was so great that she died soon afterwards. "Then," I say, in a voice which trembles with the shock of this new discovery, "my rejection of him must have appeared even more cruel and unjustifiable than I tried to make* iV appear. I must have seemed nothing more than a heartless coquette, who cared only for her own enrichment. Oh Maurice, how could you mislead me so dreadfully ? "I did it for your best. I knew that Gallim was a much better man, besides being a wealthier match, than Broadwater. And I was aware that I had talked you into consenting to the first engagement before you knew your own mind. After Gallim came on the scene I felt sure that you cared more for him than for the Earl, so I'schemed to bring about that which I believed to be best for us all." "I could never have been happy as the wife of anybody exeept Cyrus. But, after what you have told me, I cannot wonder that Lord Broadwater determined to punish us both. The pity of it is that Cyrus should suffer when he at least was blameless." x ioOK back upon the afternoon of the breaking of my engagement with the baronet, and my face flushes with shame at the heartless treatment he received, even though I' ffeel jnst resentment at the cowardly mode of revenge he selected. In the light of present knowledge I can understand that his careless, scornful manner was as artiiicial as my own, and that I made things infinitely worse by pretending to a callousness which I did not really feel. However, it is no use lamenting past errors. The thing to do now is to try and devise some means of saving Cyrus from the frightful fate which looms" over him, and I implore'Maurice to lend me all the help he possibly can. "I will do anything and everything that can be useful," he says, warmly. "But how are we to fight against all the forces of Scotland Yard and of public opinion ? "Both public opinion and Scotland Yard have been proved mistaken before now." "Not in the face of such overwhelming evidence aft in the present, case." Maurice, I do believe you think Cyrus i. guilty!" Maurice is silent, and his silence is a suffi- ciently ominous answer to my assertion. I have relied on my brother's help in clear- ing up the horrible mystery which Burrounds Lord Broadwater's disappearance, but am 'doomed to disappointment. Certainly he would follow any initiative I might offer. But what reliable result can I expect from the help of a; man who starts his investigations in the belief that the accused is actually guilty ? Everything he does will be negatived by his own want of faith, and I promptly decide that in spite of the millions of money which we have I am the only,peraos in the world upon whom Cyrus can count for an absolute, un- swerving, and therefore helpful, conviction of his innocence. Maurice evidently thinks I am unreason- able, when I scornfully taunt him with helping to drive us into a corner from which he has not the necessary confidence to extricate us. "Haven't I said that I would do all in my power, to aid in securing a .verdict of nOt guilty?" he protests. "Why, then, should you conclude that I do not want to do so ? "That is not my conclusion," I rejoin. "What I say is that unless you believe in my husband's innocence yourself, you can do nothing towards proving it. And I shall certainly not be foolish enough to rely on anything you may say or do. Cyrus is in danger of his life, and it now devolves upon me alone to save it." You forget that I have already engaged the most famous lawyers of the day to defend him. "A hundred lawyers may be of less use to him than one woman who believes in his innocence, and, please Heaven, he shall owe his life to me." Maurice pities me for in obsfcinaoy of con- viction which can only make the inevitable disillusion more bitter -enduret and his pity, is no doubt shared by tfcu rest of the world at large. But the opiniot of others is now powerless to move me, and henceforth I am going to use my own Wits and time in a new direction. If Lord Broadwater has been murdered, and even I am not hardy enough to deny that this is the case, then somebody must have murdered him. But as it ia certainly not toy husband the murderer must be another man/ From this conviction I am not to be moved. To find this other man must now be my task, and I am thankful that there is un- limited wealth to enable me to pursae my investigations. Unpleasant though the reading is' e fully follow every qetail of the which newspapers can supply me, i'1 e that they may afford 1*1$A fej fue to v°™JaP°n; In one thing I oyn myself m an<* disappointed, i have l^ped to h* body whoso grievance against L* Broad- water has been as grbot LP my ) usband's, and who would therefore have as an enmity towards him as Cyrus expres,ed when he followed him on the fatal night. But nobody seems to have borne Hm alfty serious ill-will, according to the )Apfm-, and they afford me not the slightest jeg. tc) ft&ng :L flue upon, m xacL, tac nnssing .carl is made to appear one of the most amiable o'_ men, against whom only a person of violenil passions could cherish a grievance, and wcrejj it not that it would be so monstrously unjust, I could almost believe that public opinion sides against Cyrus merely because his wealth is supposed to have enabled him to oust his rival in love. Maurice says that the girl with whom my former jittace had a matrimonial entanglement is dead. But may she not have friends who have avenged her unfortunate career ? I do not see myself that Lord Broadwater was terribly to blame over that matter. But where loopholes of escape are so few I cannot afford to ignore one of them, and I determine to know all there is to know in this connection. There is also another aspect of the case. The earldom and estates of Broadwater are worth coveting, and is it not quite possible that the next heir may have resorted to desperate measures to win the inheritance r The supposition may seem a gratuitously .oS cruel one. But it is much less unreasonable than to suppose that the deed was done by Cyrus, and I no sooner think of this possi- bility than I become wildly excited. There is now some ground for me to work uvon, and, greatly to my own astonishment, I iind myself capable of beginning imme- diately a personal task which is, I hope, to result in the discovery of the real assassin of the vanished Earl. (TO BE CONTINUED).

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