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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1ce27ea --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62298 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62298) diff --git a/old/62298-8.txt b/old/62298-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6a81fae..0000000 --- a/old/62298-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5055 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3), by Edmund Yates - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3) - A Novel - -Author: Edmund Yates - -Release Date: June 1, 2020 [EBook #62298] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IMPENDING SWORD (VOL. 3 OF 3) *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scan source: - http://www.archive.org/details/impendingswordno03yate - (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) - - - - - - -THE IMPENDING SWORD. - - - - - - -LONDON: -ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W. - - - - - - -THE -IMPENDING SWORD. - - - -A Novel. - - - -BY -EDMUND YATES, - -AUTHOR OF 'BLACK SHEEP,' 'THE ROCK AHEAD,' 'THE YELLOW FLAG,' ETC. -ETC. - - - - 'Put we our quarrel to the will of Heaven, - Who, when He sees the hours ripe on earth, - Will rain hot vengeance on the offenders' heads.' - SHAKESPEARE. - - - -IN THREE VOLUMES. -VOL. III. - - - -LONDON: -TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8 CATHERINE ST. STRAND. -1874. -[_The right of translation, dramatic adaptation, and reproduction is -reserved._] - - - - - - -CONTENTS OF VOL. III. - -Book the Third. -THE DISCOVERY. - - -CHAP. - I. CONSULTATION. - II. RECOGNISED. - III. A WAY OF ESCAPE. - IV. ESCAPED. - V. A CLUE. - VI. HARKING BACK. - VII. MR. DUNN. - VIII. IDENTIFIED. - EPILOGUE. - A NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. - - - - -Book the Third. -THE DISCOVERY. - - - - -CHAPTER I. -CONSULTATION. - - -Thornton Carey stood as one transfixed; in all his recollection of -Helen he had never seen her like this before--wonderfully pretty, but -deadly white, and almost rigid. - -'You wish to see me,' she said, advancing towards him, and placing her -cold hand in his; 'you have bad tidings, and you hesitate to tell me; -you need not be afraid--directly your arrival was announced I had a -presentiment.' - -'I have, indeed, something very serious to say to you,' said Thornton -Carey, motioning her to a seat, 'and you judge me truly when you say -that I find it difficult to break it to you.' - -'What you have to tell me concerns Alston--concerns my husband,' said -Helen, with unnatural calmness; 'don't fear to speak it at once--he -is--is dead!' - -'Helen,' said Thornton Carey, laying his hand softly on hers, 'I have -known you from your earliest youth, and no brother could have a deeper -interest in or affection for you than I have. It is my lot to bring -you the news of the most serious trial that you could be put to, and I -must not shrink from the obligation. So long as there was any hope, I -kept silence myself; and enjoined it on others. Now there is none, and -in mercy to you, as well as in justice to myself, I must speak. Summon -your womanly fortitude to your aid, my poor child, for you will need -it all. Helen--your husband is dead!' - -She sunk back in her chair, closing her eyes, and pressing her hands -before her face. From time to time a strong shiver shook her entire -frame, and her interlaced fingers were convulsively twisted together. -Once or twice, too, she uttered a deep groan, but there were no tears, -nor any of the usual signs of grief. - -After a few moments, still lying back, and with her face still covered -by her hands, she asked, in a voice such as Thornton Carey had never -heard from her before--dull, toneless, and metallic: 'Did he die in -England?' - -'He did,' replied Carey. 'Ah, Helen, I have not told you all even -yet--you have much to hear and bear.' - -'You can proceed,' she said. 'You see that I am perfectly quiet.' - -Thornton Carey glanced at her uneasily; his good sense told him that -this forced calmness was unnatural, and might be dangerous, and yet, -now that he had once entered upon his mission, he could not hesitate -to go through with it. - -'There is reason to believe,' he said, half averting his head, for, -though her eyes were covered by her hands, he felt as though her gaze -was directed towards him, 'there is reason to believe that poor -Griswold was the victim of foul play--that he met his death -unfairly--' he saw that she failed to perceive his meaning, and added -slowly--'that he was murdered!' - -'O my God!' she cried; and with a piercing shriek she threw herself -forward on the table, burying her head in her arms, which were -enshrouded in her loose hair. - -Thornton Carey sprang to his feet, and hastened to fetch her some -iced-water from the pitcher which stood on the buffet. When he -returned with the tumbler, she was sobbing fearfully, and rocking -herself to and fro, moaning dismally the while. - -'O, my Alston, my darling, my own husband--O, why did you leave me? -Why did you not listen to me when I implored you not to go this fatal -journey?' - -'Helen,' said Thornton Carey, touching her lightly on the shoulder, -'where is the courage you promised to show me?' - -'O, to think that he is dead! that I shall never see him again! O, my -own darling, my own Alston--to think that he has been killed!' - -'You are right to mourn him,' said Carey gently, 'for he was the best, -the kindest, the most generous of men.' - -'O, who could speak of that so well as I could?' murmured Helen, her -face still covered. 'Did he not give me everything I wanted? Was it not -for my sake that he took this journey in which he lost his life?' - -'Recollect then, Helen, that, however much you may deplore his loss, -there is yet another duty owing to his memory. If my suspicions are -correct, he was treacherously and basely murdered, and our first duty -is to avenge his death, and bring the murderer to justice.' - -He had scarcely uttered the words before she raised her head and -confronted him, with difficulty recognisable as the woman who, pale -and shrinking, had so recently entered the boudoir; her eyes blazed -with a fierce, lurid light, her cheeks flushed and tear-blurred, and -her lips tightly set together. - -'You are right, Thornton Carey,' she said very quietly; 'that is, of -course, the first thing to be done. Who are these wretches? Are they -known?' - -'Not yet,' said Carey; 'but I hope they will be before long. I will -leave you now; some other day--to-morrow, perhaps--when you are more -calm, I will tell you the particulars of this dreadful affair, and we -will consult as to what is to be done.' - -'To-morrow,' she repeated; 'why not now? Why lose one moment? Is -calmness required when the means of punishing my Alston's murderer is -in question? For God's sake, talk to me, Thornton Carey, and give me -something to employ my mind, for when I think of his loss and my own -desolate position, I feel as if I should go mad.' - -An instant's rapid reflection convinced Carey that to do as she -requested would be the best means of serving her--the best chance of -staving off that access of grief which he had so much dreaded. - -'I will do what you wish, Helen,' he said, after a pause, 'if you will -promise me to keep guard over yourself, and to strive hard against -being betrayed into any exhibition of feeling; this will be the more -necessary as I shall have to bring two strangers to you, people who -made the acquaintance of our poor Alston in England, and who were the -first to form the idea that he was indeed the murdered man.' - -'To form the idea!' cried Helen. 'Is it not certain--is there any -possible doubt?' - -'None,' said Carey gently, but decisively. 'From all that I can make -out, and you will understand that I have done my best to sift the -matter thoroughly, I can have no doubt that the American gentleman -passing under the name of Foster, whose murder in Liverpool is now -reported in the newspapers, was your husband, and my poor friend, -Alston Griswold.' - -'Passing under the name of Foster!' repeated Helen. 'Alston would never -have descended to such duplicity. What reason could he have,' she -added, looking up, 'for concealing his real name?' - -'That is more than I can say,' cried Carey; 'but whether he did or not -you ought to be able to tell at once. How were your letters to him -addressed?' - -Helen's face fell, and her eyes were downcast; she did not like such -an intimate friend even as Thornton Carey to know that her husband had -not trusted her with his address. There was, however, no help for it, -so she said: - -'I did not write direct to Alston in England--my letters have been -sent under cover to Mr. Warren, and have been forwarded by him.' - -Carey was silent for a moment. Then he said: - -'That intelligence goes far to confirm my worst fears. If Alston had -not been under an assumed name, you would have written to him direct; -that he had an assumed name, which must have been known to Warren, -proves that the disguise must have been for business purposes. It is -as I thought at first,' he said, lifting up his hands; 'that his -business operations might not be known he took the name of Foster; by -some one interested in thwarting those business operations he has been -killed.' - -Helen bowed her head. - -'All things seem to point to that, I confess,' she said; 'but Foster -is not an uncommon American name--there are hundreds and thousands of -Americans now in England on business. The circumstance of Alston -having thought fit to conceal his identity is merely a coincidence, -and if no personal description of the murdered man has arrived, you -may yet be wrong.' - -'Would to God I could think so,' said Thornton Carey; 'but after you -have heard the story of the two persons from England whom I spoke of, -I am afraid even you will have to surrender that hope. I have brought -them with me--will you see them?' - -'No,' she said quickly, 'I cannot, not to-day, not for some time. You -surely cannot consider it necessary?' - -'Not if the matter is to be dropped,' he replied quietly; 'but if any -action is to be taken upon it, if finding we are right in our surmise, -we are at once to take steps to discover and pursue the perpetrators -of this dreadful act, then I think no time should be lost in our -availing ourselves of all the aid and assistance we can command.' - -'That has decided me,' said Helen. 'I will see them at once. Who are -they?' - -'I think you have seen them,' said Thornton Carey; 'at all events -their names are well known to you--they are Mr. Bryan Duval and Miss -Clara Montressor.' - -'The actors?' cried Helen. - -'Exactly,' said Thornton Carey. 'You recollect poor Alston's love for -the drama and its professors, and how he used to declare that the -theatre was the only place in which he could forget the cares and -troubles of business. He seems to have carried this idea over to -England with him, and to have made the acquaintance of and become -tolerably intimate with this lady and gentleman. It was after -accompanying them to Liverpool, and seeing them start on their journey -here, that the fatal attack was made upon him. They are, as I need -scarcely tell you, highly-intelligent people, and with the kindliest -feelings towards you; and as, from the manner in which they were mixed -up with poor Griswold in England, their information and advice is -highly valuable, I would you should see them at once.' - -'I will do so,' said Helen; 'I will come down with you at once to the -parlour, where I suppose they are.' - -She went down-stairs, only pausing for an instant and trembling -violently as she passed the door of the library, when the remembrance -flashed across her of her interview with Alston on the night of their -ball, and of the manner in which, acting under the presentiment which -would seem to have been carried out, she had implored him to give up -the idea of this journey. Then, summoning all her courage to her aid, -she opened the door, and followed by Thornton Carey, entered the -parlour. - -A lady, who was turning over the leaves of a photographic album, and a -gentleman, who seemed to be reading some memoranda in a note-book, -rose at their entrance. She bowed as Thornton Carey muttered hastily -some formal words of introduction, and looked at them keenly. Months -afterwards Helen remembered that, notwithstanding the acuteness of the -mental agonies she was suffering, she could not help remarking the -difference between the quietly-dressed, mild-mannered lady who sat -before her and the shrieking heroine of the stage, between the sharp, -shrewd, worldly-wise Bryan Duval and the steeple-hatted, -velvet-cloaked utterer of romantic rhapsodies. - -Bryan Duval was the first to speak: 'Your friend Mr. Carey has an -idea, Mrs. Griswold, that we may be able to be of some service to you -by giving information which, combined with such knowledge as you -yourself possess, may tend to elucidate the causes which prompted this -dreadful deed, and enable you to recognise its perpetrator. I need -scarcely assure you of our warm sympathy, or the earnest desire on our -part to help you.' - -Helen bowed, and steadying herself by a great mental effort, said: 'I -am very grateful for the interest you have displayed towards me. Mr. -Carey has given me no details, preferring that I should hear them all -from you. I should like to know, in the first place, what gave you the -idea of the identity of my husband, Mr. Griswold, with the victim of -this cruel deed?' - -'I think I can answer that question,' said Miss Montressor, bending -forward. 'The gentleman whom we knew as Mr. Foster once showed me a -portrait of a lady which he described as his wife's. I had the -portrait in my hands for some time, and its features were vividly -impressed in my mind. Before we made our first appearance at the -theatre here, I had heard accidentally that you were to occupy a -certain seat, and I was instructed to look out for you. You may judge -of my astonishment when in that seat I saw a lady whom I recognised as -the original of the portrait which Mr. Foster had shown me.' - -'You must pardon my appearing a little confused,' said poor Helen, -putting her hand on her head. 'Do I understand that you recognise me -as the original of the portrait shown to you?' - -'Certainly,' replied Miss Montressor; 'there could be no doubt about -it.' - -'And this portrait,' asked Helen, 'what was it like--how was it set?' - -'It was a miniature, a very beautifully coloured photograph, I should -say, and it was set in the inside case of a plain gold watch, the -spring which discovered it being very difficult to find.' - -'That was my parting gift to Alston,' murmured Helen. 'Either he must -have shown it to you or it must have been stolen from him.' - -'That I think can easily be decided,' interrupted Bryan Duval, 'by a -description of the gentleman whom we knew as Mr. Foster, and who -showed the portrait to this lady. A man between five-and-thirty and -forty years of age, about my height, with hair somewhat lighter than -mine, a thick dark moustache and imperial, or chin tuft; his -expression somewhat prematurely grave and thoughtful, but brightening -in an instant whenever anything struck his fancy; his manner rather -English than American, perhaps a little formal at first, but frank and -warm when he was known--I beg your pardon,' he added hurriedly, seeing -that Helen had placed her handkerchief to her eyes, 'I fear I have -said too much.' - -'It was only for an instant,' she said, looking up. 'Your description, -to my mind, is singularly accurate, and I fear that it would be -useless to indulge in any further hope. It seems now only too certain -that the worst is true.' - -'What we have to do now, then,' said Thornton Carey, striking in -quickly, and with a significant glance at Duval, 'is to try and -discover what instigated the deed, and by whom it was perpetrated.' - -'To aid us in that endeavour,' said Duval, who perfectly comprehended -the reasons which actuated his companion, 'we must get Mrs. Griswold to -answer as freely and as closely as she possibly can.' - -'I will do so to the best of my ability,' said Helen; 'but I must warn -you from the first that my knowledge of Mr. Griswold was mainly -restricted to his home, where he was the best, the truest, and the -most generous of men. He had not, and I have no doubt correctly, a -very high estimate of woman's value in business matters; he imagined -that they could not grasp the details, and if, during the first days -of our marriage, I ever attempted to talk of his affairs, he -invariably put me off with a pleasant word and a jest. Seeing how he -felt about the matter, I had long since given up attempting to speak -to him concerning them.' - -'But surely this voyage to Europe, which was not an ordinary business -matter, but one entirely out of the way, might have tempted you to -break your rule?' said Bryan Duval. - -'It did,' said Helen. 'I spoke to Mr. Griswold about it on several -occasions; the last I remember perfectly. There had been a little -social gathering at this house, and after our friends had gone my -husband went into his library, to arrange some papers. I joined him -there, and besought him to give up his intended voyage.' - -'What a mercy it would have been if you had succeeded!' said Miss -Montressor. - -'I think I might have succeeded if he alone had been engaged in the -undertaking, for he was much moved by my evident distress; but he told -me that he was merely one of several; that certain of his friends had -joined in the speculation on the strength of his having guaranteed to -carry it out; and that it was impossible for him to back out of it -with honour.' - -'Certain of his friends,' repeated Bryan Duval slowly. 'Did he name -any of them to you?' - -'He did not,' replied Helen. - -'This information gives colour to your idea, Mr. Carey,' continued -Bryan, 'that the prompting of the deed may have come from this side of -the water. You were acquainted with most of your husband's friends, I -suppose, Mrs. Griswold?' - -'In a casual way,' replied Helen. 'Mr. Griswold was of a very -hospitable nature, and was in the habit of inviting them to dinners at -Delmonico's or at this house, at most of which I was present, while -they, in their turn, would invite us.' - -'Now, among these acquaintances, can you think of any one who could be -jealous of Mr. Griswold in any possible way, of his position in -Wall-street, his social status, or--anything else?' asked Bryan Duval, -looking narrowly at her. - -'No,' answered Helen, whose cheeks flushed crimson as the remembrance -of her last interview with Trenton Warren rose unbidden to her -mind--'no, I think not.' - -'It is useless to ask if he had any enemies; none of us, even the most -insignificant, is without them; but had he any enemy, open and -avowed--have you ever heard of any one whom he had crossed in -business, or--in anything else, and who was likely to revenge himself -upon him?' - -'Never,' said Helen decisively; 'never.' - -'And you are absolutely not aware of the existence of any motive -likely to prompt such a crime?' - -'I am not,' replied Helen. - -Bryan Duval shrugged his shoulders, and sank back in his chair. - -'Mr. Duval's questions have been very skilfully put, my dear Mrs. -Griswold, and you have answered them plainly and conscientiously. I -will ask you--' - -'Pray excuse me one minute,' said Miss Montressor; 'there is one point -in connection with the identity of Mr. Foster with Mr. Griswold which -has not yet been brought forward. On the same evening on which your -portrait had been shown to me,' she continued, turning to Helen, 'as we -were driving to London in an open carriage, I complained of the cold, -and Mr. Foster--I may as well continue to call him so--lent me this -pin, which he took from his cravat, to secure my shawl--do you -recognise it?' - -As she spoke she handed the pin to Mrs. Griswold. - -Helen looked at it attentively. 'I have seen this stone before, but I -cannot tell where.' Then, after a pause, she said: 'Now I recollect -perfectly. It was not set as a pin when I saw it, but as a sleeve -link. I found it on the floor of the room after the little party which -I have mentioned, and I do not remember having come across it since.' - -'You are quite right,' said. Miss Montressor. 'Mr. Foster mentioned -having found the link when he unpacked his trunk on his arrival in -England. He imagined it to be one of a set belonging to you, and had -it mounted as a pin. The evidence is not worth much, I know,' -continued Miss Montressor, taking the pin from Helen's hand, and -laying it on the table, 'but it is a small additional proof that Mr. -Griswold and the victim of this horrible crime were one. I am sorry I -interrupted you, Mr. Carey.' - -'Not at all,' replied Thornton. 'I was merely going to sum up all Mr. -Duval's skilful questions in one commonplace one. Have you, my dear -Mrs. Griswold, no idea of anything which could have tempted any one to -assassinate your husband?' - -'Not the slightest in the world,' said Helen, shaking her head -wearily; unless, 'indeed, my poor Alston was mistaken for some one -else. I think that must have been it. I think he must have been -mistaken for some one else.' - -'Mrs. Griswold is growing a little fatigued,' said Bryan Duval, who -had been watching her closely, 'and naturally requires rest and quiet. -I do not think that we can say any more just now, and we had better -bring this painful interview to a close.' - -'I agree with you,' said Thornton Carey; 'one word more and I have -done. I had concluded,' he added, turning to Helen, 'even before what -you told me this morning concerning your letters, that the man who -knew most about your poor husband's affairs, and who was most -thoroughly in his confidence, was Trenton Warren. I have been to his -office, and find that he is at Chicago. I have, accordingly, ventured -to telegraph to him there in your name, desiring him to return at -once, stating that it was of the utmost importance that you should see -him, but not mentioning what has occurred. I hope I did rightly.' - -'I--I suppose so,' Helen replied. 'But you will remain in town, Mr. -Carey, and--this gentleman, and you, madam, will continue to advise -me--will you not?' - -'I may say, speaking for both of us, that we shall be too happy to be -of any service to you,' said Bryan Duval. 'I have had some experience -in the elucidation of mysteries, and I shall devote some time in the -endeavour to bring this villany home to the proper person.' - -'I would offer to stay with you,' said Miss Montressor, 'but, -unfortunately, as you are aware, my avocations do not permit me. I -cannot bear to think of you sitting alone here, without any one to -console you in your trouble.' - -'You are very kind,' said Helen; 'but I feel that I have overtaxed my -strength, and I shall get to bed as soon as possible. Fortunately, my -child's nurse, Mrs. Jenkins'--here Miss Montressor winced--'is a most -attentive and considerate person, and will, I am sure, take every care -of me.' - -'She seems, indeed, quite a treasure,' said Thornton Carey. 'I will -call upon Dr. O'Connor as I go down town, and ask him to look in upon -you when he is driving this way. You must be careful, my dear Mrs. -Griswold; you will need all your strength to help us in the -unravelment of this mystery.' Then they took their leave. - -When they reached the street, Thornton Carey parted from them, with -promises to see them on the morrow; and Bryan Duval, who seemed to -have recovered all his old manner, said to Miss Montressor: 'I am -going down, my dear Clara, on a little mission to the Tombs, which is -the cheerful name they give to the police office here. The judge is an -old friend of mine, and I have already started inquiries among some of -the police officers. It is not a place that I can conveniently take -you to, so I advise you to get into the approaching omnibus, which -these Americans, with their usual perversity, insist on calling a -"stage," and which will put you down at the hotel. You will find the -step very high, but woman is privileged in America, and you can seize -the knee or the nose of the nearest gentleman, and help yourself in by -it, without giving him any offence. You can add to the compliment, so -soon as you are seated, by handing him this ten-cent bill, and -observing his graceful attitudes as he pushes it through the hole in -the roof to the driver. Adios, my child; I shall be back by dinner -time.' - -'Our Clara is a very nice little girl,' said Bryan Duval, as he -strolled down the street, 'and Mr. Thornton Carey is a worthy, good -man--rather of the steady-going beef-and-potatoes kind of order, -without any particular originality or fancy about him, and they both -do their best, and very possibly be of use in helping to puzzle out -the inquiry; but there are times when a man of any genius likes to be -alone, and not to be yoked to any of his humdrum fellow creatures. -Collaboration, working with another person, is a thing that I never -appreciated--I mean working at the same time with another person. If -a fellow has been before me with certain excellent crude notions, -which he had brought to a certain point, and then gave them up because -he lacked the ability to carry them further, and I take them up where -he dropped them, and trundle them into a triumph, I do not call that -collaboration; they become my ideas, and his failure becomes my -success. - -'This is a very singular case,' continued Mr. Duval, taking from his -pocket a small plaited-straw case of cigarettes, opening one, lighting -it, and smoking it in the true Spanish fashion, 'a very singular case, -and one which, properly manipulated, and placed on the boards with -care, ought to bring me in something like a thousand pounds. I have no -doubt there are men in London who are on to it already, who will make -a wretched coarse bungle of the story, ascribing the cause of the -murder to the usual motive, an improper lady, a horrible creature, -with crimson cheeks and tow hair, and who will produce their garbage -at the Surrey, where it will play for ten nights to overflowing -galleries, and never be heard of afterwards. Now, let me see, if -business continues well at the Varieties, I shall remain here till -June; I can sketch out this story on the voyage home, and get it all -ready for some London house to open with in September. Which manager -shall I give it to? Wogsby, at the Parthenon, is too old; wants to -play the principal parts himself, and though he has the remains of -greatness about him, cannot recollect his words. Rowley, at the -Coliseum, can't get on without a show piece; he would want to put -lions and tigers, elephants, camels, and spotted horses into this, and -somehow, as the scene must be laid in Liverpool and thereabouts, that -would spoil the local colour. Hodgkinson, of the Gravity, is, I think, -my man. He is a true showman; French farces, show-leg and break-down -burlesques, fine old English comedy and opera bouffe, are all the same -to Hodgkinson, so long as they draw the coppers, and I think I can -make him see his way to this pretty clearly. - -'I wonder if we are on the right scent or not? Carey's notion that the -crime may have arisen from some business complication is not a bad -one, and I took care immediately to adopt it as my own--there is never -any use in losing the credit of these things. Whether he is right or -not remains to be proved. Of course, in a dramatic version, one would -have to give another motive; business is a deuced unromantic thing, -and no audience could feel any sympathy for a man who was knocked on -the head by some one who had projected an opposition gas-works or a -rival railway line. On the stage, the woman interest must be brought -out, and that is easy enough to do, only just now one has pure prose -to deal with, and I should much like to know the truth of the case. -Union-square, by Jove! How quickly I must have walked. I think the -faintest suspicion of a lunch would recruit exhausted nature before I -plunge into the dirt and desolation of the Tombs.' - -As he said these words, Mr. Duval turned down Fourteenth-street, and -walked into Delmonico's. He was received by the two clerks, who sat at -the counter facing the door, with a grave bow, which he gravely -returned; then he entered the public room, took up his position at a -table in a window, and speedily found one of the sable-clad managers -by his side. - -'Delighted to see you again amongst us, M. Duval,' said this -functionary, speaking in French. 'Every night this saloon is filled -with ladies and gentlemen who, during their supper, _raffolent_ of you -and your success. You were here the other night yourself, I -understand, but I had not the pleasure of seeing you.' - -'Thanks, my dear M. Adolphe,' replied Bryan, in the same language. -'These good New Yorkers are always kind to one, who has happened once -to please them, and I may truly say that they never forget old -friends. And you are looking as young as ever; the cares of business -sit lightly on your shoulders, _mon brave_,' and he tapped the little -Frenchman lightly on the back. 'Say, Adolphe, is the brand of Chablis -as good as ever?' - -'I think I may say better, M. Duval. We have some now which is--' And -the little man, instead of finishing his sentence, kissed the fingers -of his right hand and waved them in the air. - -'Very well then, Adolphe, send me half a bottle of it and a dozen Blue -Points. I am keeping to small oysters just now, for I am not yet -acclimatised to the American monsters, and come back here yourself -when you have ordered them, for I want to have a few words with you.' - -The oysters were perfectly served, and the Chablis was delicious. -After Mr. Duval had smacked his lips over his first glass of wine, he -turned to M. Adolphe, who stood with a pleased look by his side, and -said: 'Adolphe, you know me of old, and you can be sure that all you -say to me will be treated with perfect confidence.' - -M. Adolphe bowed. - -'You know Mr. Griswold, I suppose?' - -'Why, certainly. He has now gone to Europe, but when he is at home -there is scarcely a day that Mr. Griswold is not here.' - -'Dines here by himself?' - -'Dines and breakfasts here by himself, and with madame, and with his -friends. There are few of our customers whose bills are so long as Mr. -Griswold's, fewer still, alas, who are so prompt in paying them.' - -'Exactly. Now,' continued Mr. Duval, 'I know the excellent rule of -this house, that no one, however well known to the proprietor, is -permitted to be served with a meal in a private room alone with a -lady, even though there is no possible doubt that that lady is his -wife; but I know also that, of course, there are various jolly -supper-parties given up-stairs, at which all sorts of people are -present. Was Mr. Griswold a frequent attendant of any of these?' - -'Never,' said M. Adolphe energetically, 'I am perfectly prepared to -say never. The people with whom Mr. Griswold consorted, male and -female, were always _les gens comme faut_.' - -'So I should have thought,' said Mr. Duval cheerfully. 'Thank you very -much, Adolphe; in such matters, yours is an opinion to be relied upon. -If ever, when you are off duty of an evening, you would like to come -into the Varieties, send round to the Fifth-avenue Hotel, and I will -give you my card. We are doing great business, but can always find -room for friends.' And Mr. Duval paid his bill, and with a pleasant -nod, strolled leisurely into the street. - -'So far so good,' said he to himself, when he got outside. 'Now, to -make myself quite certain, I will put the question to my old friend, -O'Meara, and if he endorses Adolphe's opinion, I shall have no doubt -about it that Thornton Carey is right; that this has been some -business jealousy, and that there is no woman in the case.' - -Judge O'Meara was the presiding justice, or what would be called in -England the police magistrate, at the Tombs. Looking at him, there was -little reason to ask from what country he originally sprang; his clear -blue eyes, short, turn-up nose, and full, red lips proclaimed him a -genuine son of Erin. His face was clean shaved, with the exception of -a moustache, which, with his reddish-brown hair, was close cropped. -His style of administering justice was peculiar, rough and ready, but -admitted to be well suited to those with whom he had to do. - -As Bryan entered the court, by a door behind the bench, a -wretched-looking object had just been hauled before the judge by a -stalwart Irish policeman. - -'What's this?' cried Judge O'Meara. - -'A dead drunken case, your honour,' said the policeman. - -'Any violence?' - -'No, sir.' - -'Go along with you,' said the judge to the prisoner, who hurried off -delighted at his discharge. - -'What's this?' next asked the judge, as a woman with unkempt hair and -a fearfully black eye was placed before him. - -'Fighting and making a muss in Green-street,' said the policeman. - -'Isn't it Mrs. McCleary?' said the judge, looking hard at her. 'Ah, -Bridget, you villain!' he continued, 'you may well hang your head, but -we are too old friends for me not to recognise you. Is this the three -or four hundredth time I have had you here, Bridget, for battering the -boys when you have taken a drop?' - -'Judge, darling--' said Mrs. McCleary. - -'Whist, Bridget! none of your familiarities before strangers. If I let -you go this time, will you swear to keep straight, and not be bringing -your country and mine into disgrace?' - -'I will, judge, by the Blessed--' - -'Get along out of that,' interrupted the judge, and Mrs. McCleary left -the court rejoicing. - -'Bryan, my dear boy,' said the judge, turning round at the light touch -which Duval had laid on his shoulder, 'the sight of you is good for -sore eyes. I hear you are packing them in like herrings at the -Varieties, and I have not yet had time to come and see you.' - -'So I have come to see you, my dear judge,' said Duval, 'and on a -little matter of business. They used to say, when I was here before, -that you knew every one in New York.' - -'It is a little pride of mine to do so,' said the judge. 'I will walk -up Broadway this afternoon, and there is not a man, woman, or scarce a -child that I cannot tell you something about.' - -'Of course, then, you knew Griswold?' - -'Is it Alston Griswold, corner of Wall and William? I knew him well.' - -'What sort of a fellow is he in his habits?' asked Duval. 'Like you and -me, judge, with a tender leaning towards the tender sex?' - -'My dear Bryan,' said the judge, 'Alston Griswold is the only one man -of my acquaintance who has the least touch of the saint in him that -way. I firmly believe he is devoted to his wife, and that even on this -journey to Europe, which I hear he has undertaken, he will never let -another woman cross his thoughts.' - -'Many thanks, judge; you have told me just what I wanted to know. I -won't detain you now, more especially as we are to meet at supper -to-night at Sutherland's.' - -'Delighted to hear you are to be of the party, my boy,' said the -judge, waving his hand and returning to his business. - -'I beg your pardon, Mr. Duval,' said one of the police -superintendents, stepping up to Bryan, as he was making his way out, -'but the mail from Europe has brought us further information about that -murder in which you were interested.' - -'Ah, indeed, and what is it?' asked Bryan quickly. - -'We have got full particulars of the inquest from London, and copies -of the photograph which was found in the watch.' - -'The deuce you have,' said Bryan; then muttered to himself, 'It will -be known all over the city now.' - -'The Liverpool police,' continued the constable, 'are said to be -investigating the matter with vigilant intelligence, but the coroner's -verdict is an open one, "by some person or persons unknown."' - -'Has the body been identified?' asked Bryan. - -'By one person only,' said the constable, 'a passenger on board the -Birkenhead ferry, who recollected seeing the gentleman leave it in the -company of a man dressed as a Methodist preacher, and carrying a -parcel wrapped in tarpaulin.' - -'Many thanks,' said Bryan. Then, as he turned away, he said to -himself: 'I don't mind parsons of the Establishment, but I never did -like Methodists; they always do their best to spoil my successes.' - - - - -CHAPTER II. -RECOGNISED. - - -In the course of either her professional or private career, Miss -Montressor had never before found herself mixed up with so interesting -a concatenation of circumstances. She was too true and intentional an -actress, the concentrativeness to which she was hereafter to owe a -very considerable success in her profession, ever to be able to lose -sight of the dramatic side of any event, but it would be doing her a -grievous wrong to say that it was uppermost in her mind on this -occasion. She, like most women in her profession, had rarely had an -opportunity of coming in contact with well-bred and well-educated -women in any other than the most formal and superficial relations. -Such an opportunity was now afforded her, though under melancholy and -deeply-affecting circumstances, by the catastrophe which had befallen -Helen Griswold, and there arose in the mind of the actress a genuine -womanly sympathy, and strong liking for the young widow who bore her -trouble with a calmness and a submission which the other, accustomed -to the strong lines and the forced expressions of the dramatic -rendering of feeling, instinctively admired, though she could not -analyse. - -Strictly speaking, her one interview with Helen Griswold had served -the purposes for which Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey had relied upon -her, and she was in no way bound to undergo any further painful -emotion in connection with this subject. There had been indeed almost -a tone of dismissal in Bryan Duval's manner, when he parted with her -after their interview with Mrs. Griswold--something which intimated -that she was now free to go and enjoy herself, and make the most of -her stay in a new and delightful scene, where all the honours of -popularity awaited her at the hands of the people who best knew how to -make popularity pleasant. But Miss Montressor could not shake off the -impression which Helen had made upon her, and the following morning, -at an hour which rarely witnessed her curtains undrawn or her eyes -unclosed, saw her again at the now desolate house in Fifth-avenue. The -solemn silence which succeeds to the confusion and dismay of such -intelligence as that of which the three had been the bearers on the -previous day, had settled down upon the home of the murdered man; the -tall front of the house showed long lines of white blinds, there was -not a sound to be heard, not a head to be seen at the windows, and for -any stir about it, the house itself might have been as dead as its -master. - -Miss Montressor rang at the bell very gently, and, after a slight -delay, was admitted by a servant whom she had not seen before, and -who, therefore, could not identify her with the visitor to Mrs. -Jenkins of a previous occasion, but who had no difficulty in -discovering that he was addressing the celebrated actress, curiosity -concerning whom even present circumstances had not been able -thoroughly to repress among the household. Miss Montressor had had no -fixed purpose in her mind beyond making an inquiry for Mrs. Griswold, -but when she had done so, had been assured that 'she was wonderfully -well, considering,' the man, with a thoughtful regard for the feelings -of his fellow servants who had not the chance of opening the door to -Miss Montressor, suggested that perhaps that lady would like to see -the nurse, who could give her full particulars of Mrs. Griswold's -state. - -Miss Montressor thought she would very much like to see the nurse. The -man then showed her into the dining-room, and went joyfully to inform -Mrs. Jenkins of the great chance that had turned up for her. - -Mrs. Jenkins glanced into Helen's room, where she was still sleeping -heavily under the influence of the opiate, and laying the child, who -had dozed off so soundly asleep, by the mother's side, where she must -touch her on awakening, went softly down the stairs to meet her -sister. - -There was no longer any disguise or concealment in the household; the -nature of the accident to their master, at which Thornton Carey had -dimly hinted when he entreated their care and caution of observing -Mrs. Griswold, was now fully known and incessantly discussed among the -servants, who had become in some mysterious way thoroughly acquainted -with the facts revealed by Bryan Duval and Miss Montressor to their -mistress on the preceding day. - -Their horror and regret were extreme. Alston Griswold had the good -will and good word of all who held a dependent position with regard to -him, and it never occurred to them, as it would have done to English -people under similar circumstances, to discern anything sinister in -his change of name. If he had called himself Foster instead of -Griswold, it was because he had good reasons for it; every one knew -how sharp was the practice in his line of business. The newspapers -containing accounts of the murder at Liverpool, had been eagerly -looked up and read all over again, now that the details had gained -additional and ghastly importance, for the members of the Griswolds' -household and Mrs. Jenkins had been made thoroughly familiar with all -the particulars, extending to Thornton Carey's commission to Jim with -regard to the speedy delivery of the telegram. On only two points she -had not been informed, for the good and sufficient reason that they -had not come to the knowledge of Jim himself. One of these points was -the name of the person to whom the telegram had been despatched, the -other was the place from whence the answer was expected. - -Mrs. Jenkins closed the door of the dining-room as noiselessly as if -Helen, two stories above, might have been disturbed by its sound, and -instinctively the two women addressed each other in a whisper. - -'O, my dear Bess,' said Miss Montressor, 'what an awful thing this is! -To think of our having talked about her that night and what she would -wear at the play, and her husband being murdered all the time, and our -knowing him.' - -'Awful, indeed,' said Mrs. Jenkins, as she seated herself by her -sister and possessed herself of her hand, 'but tell me, what is this -about this pin?' - -'What pin? asked Miss Montressor, momentarily oblivious. - -'The pin you left on the table here yesterday--how did you come by -it?' - -'How did I come by it--didn't Mrs. Griswold tell you?' - -'She! bless you, she has not been able to speak two rational words -since the doctor came yesterday.' - -'Why, that is one of the great points in the case, Bess. Mr. Foster, -or rather Mr. Griswold, gave me that pin a few days before we left -London, and told me himself that it belonged to his wife. It went a -great way in making us sure that he was Mr. Griswold, and they say it -is a most important piece of conviction in case they catch the -murderers.' - -'Well,' said Mrs. Jenkins, shaking her head, and looking extremely -puzzled, 'it is very odd; I have seen that carved head before, only -there were two of them, and they were not pins, they were wrist -buttons. I know the thing as well as I know my own wedding-ring; and -how Mrs. Griswold ever got hold of them is strange, for my Ephraim -bought those very heads--I can swear by the little speck in the edge -of the cap in that one of them up-stairs now--when he was travelling -with Mr. and Mrs. Moffat, as a courier at Rome, for a mere nothing. He -believed them to be shams, but some one who knew all about such things -told him afterwards they were nothing of the sort; that they were real -antiques--I suppose you know what that means, Clara? I don't, except -being very old, and dug up somewhere; and the same person said that -the man who sold them to my Eph must have stolen them, for they were -worth ten times the price he gave for them, and he got ten times the -price when he sold them afterwards to Warren.' - -'Who is Warren?' said Miss Montressor. - -It was on the tip of Mrs. Jenkins's tongue, when she happily -remembered her husband's injunctions not to talk of him, so she simply -said: - -'Nobody particular; a man Eph knew in the way of business; but I -cannot understand how Mrs. Griswold came by them.' - -'She probably bought them,' said Miss Montressor, 'from the other man, -and very likely paid him ten times as much as he paid to Eph. That's -the way people who have lots of money get done. I don't see any beauty -in the pin; and you must understand, Bess,' she continued, assuming a -sudden air of very amusing propriety, 'that it was not as a present--at -least not deliberate and intentional--I came by the pin. I just could -not manage to keep my shawl on with a stupid little pin I had in it, -and Mr. Foster took this one out of his scarf, and lent it to me. I -never thought more of it till I found it in my shawl here at New -York.' - -Mrs. Jenkins let the subject drop. She had so nearly erred from her -strict fidelity to Eph's directions, that the sooner she put herself -out of reach of a similar danger the safer she felt. 'Well, it don't -matter,' she said. 'It will be many a long day before Mrs. Griswold -will have any thought of such things again. She kept up wonderfully -yesterday, when you and Mr. Carey were here, and even till after the -doctor had seen her, but she must have suffered horribly when she shut -herself up in her own room, for when it got quite dark, and she hadn't -rung her bell, or made no sign, Justine and I got frightened, and we -consulted as to what we had better do about going into the room -without she had rung her bell; but, at last, I made up my mind I could -not bear it any longer, and I took the baby and went in. She was lying -all her length on the hearth-rug, with her face hidden in her hair and -her hands; not insensible, she was in a kind of stupid despair. She -let us lift her up like a log, and she never spoke one word, not even -when I brought the baby to her. She just took her little hand up -listlessly in hers for a minute, and let it drop.' - -In the fulness of her heart, Mrs. Jenkins's homely manner gained a -certain dignity of refinement, which acted immediately upon the -sensitive nerves of her sister, whose tears fell silently, and who saw -with her mental vision the scene her sister's words represented. - -'And then we got her into bed, and sent for the doctor. He gave her a -sleeping draught, and said she was to be watched. Justine wanted to -sit up with her, but I would not let her--she is young, and young -people are never wakeful--so I stayed and sat until this morning, just -outside the curtain, peeping at her through a little chink where it -joined the tester; and through the chink I could see her eyes wide -open, quite unchanged all through the hours of night. I suppose it was -the medicine that kept her so still, for she neither sighed, moaned, -spoke, nor stirred. She might have been a dead woman, with only the -eyes alive, until after the sun rose, and then she began to shiver. I -put an eider-down over her, and in a few minutes she dropped asleep. I -suppose it was the medicine had its own way at last, and there she is -now.' - -'The longer she sleeps the better; she has nothing but trouble to wake -to,' said Miss Montressor. 'My goodness! I wonder why it is so--what -harm did this creature ever do?' - -'Ah,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'and what harm did Mr. Griswold ever do, or -anything but good, so far as I can find out? They say here he hasn't -an enemy in the world.' - -'O, that's all nonsense, my dear!' said Miss Montressor. 'No man ever -was so rich, so prosperous, and so happy as Mr. Griswold without -having lots of enemies; the only wonderful thing is, that he could -have any enemies so much in earnest about it as to run the risk of -killing him. I suppose they will find out who did it?' - -'Suppose they will find out!' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'Of course they will -find out--what's the police for?' - -'A good many people have been asking that same question lately,' said -Miss Montressor, with a smile at her sister's simplicity. 'That is -not, by a long way, the worst murder that they have not found out. You -manage things better over here, I daresay, but in England, for some -time past, the police have been making themselves famous either by -catching no one at all in cases of crime, or by catching the wrong -man.' - -'They say it was not robbery,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'but that he was -taken for somebody else.' - -'That's all hearsay, my dear,' replied Miss Montressor, with an air of -superior wisdom. 'Don't talk about it to the other servants, but I may -tell you in confidence that Bryan Duval, who is about the best -detective going, has very little doubt that the motive, if not the -murderer, is to be found on this side the Atlantic.' - -'No,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'you don't say so! Then you may depend upon -it he will be hunted down, because they tell me here there is no man -more respected or liked than Mr. Griswold, in general; but that he has -one friend whose devotion is quite a talk in the place.' - -'Ah,' said Miss Montressor; 'I suppose that is Mr. Warren they were -inquiring about yesterday? It is rather a pity he is away just now.' - -Again Mrs. Jenkins felt herself on dangerous ground, and once more -withdrew from it, changing the conversation to her sister's prospects -and proceedings in New York. - -The interview between the sisters lasted long, and was undisturbed by -any summons from Helen. Once, in the course of it, Mrs. Jenkins went -softly up-stairs, and looked into the room, whose stillness she -dreaded to find roused into act of suffering. But Helen was still -sleeping, with her child by her side. At first sight the scene was one -of quiet and touching beauty, for the baby's face lay close to that of -the girlish mother, and both looked equally fair; but on a nearer -inspection, it might be seen that Helen's lips were colourless, and -were marked with a dry, black line that comes of artificial sleep -supervening upon acute suffering; and the waxen eyelids, which ranked -among the chief beauties of her face, were tinged with purple; the -weight of the weary head indented the pillow deeply, and the hands, -listlessly stretched out, were cold and heavy. Mrs. Jenkins made some -slight change in the attitude of the sleeper, fearing the constrained, -long-maintained position, and again left her. - -'She is sleeping still,' she said. 'One cannot look at her without -thinking what a good thing it would be if she were never to wake.' - -'O, nonsense, my dear Bess,' said Miss Montressor, who, having talked -it out fully, was experiencing release from the tension of nerves -occasioned by her excitement and genuine sympathy. 'It is an awful -thing, no doubt, but she has youth, strength, and wealth to pull her -through it--and these things do pull people through, somehow or other. -She will be bright and happy again after a while, and then you will be -very glad that the poor child is not left fatherless and motherless -too, at one blow.' - -'Yes, to be sure, Clara--you are right,' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'If women -were easily killed, especially by trouble, there would not be much -gray hair to be seen on women's heads in the world--what a deal they -have to go through in comparison with men!' - -'Well, men are mostly let off easy,' said Miss Montressor; 'but after -all, it is Mr. Griswold that has been murdered, recollect.' - -They entered no further upon this metaphysical subject, and Miss -Montressor shortly after rose to go. - -'Are the gentlemen coming again today?' asked Mrs. Jenkins, while her -sister was resuming her bonnet and jacket. - -'I believe so,' replied Miss Montressor. 'Bryan Duval said something -about it being necessary that Mrs. Griswold should see some of the -police authorities, in order to give any information in her power that -may throw light upon Mr. Griswold's correspondents. It appears that he -wrote a great many business letters at home, so that the office papers -are not sufficiently explicit to account for all his business -transactions. I don't know when they are coming, but I think it is -settled for to-day.' - -'Then,' said Mrs. Jenkins, looking very serious, 'I think that is -exceedingly wrong. I am quite certain Mrs. Griswold will be unable to -see anybody, judging by her looks at present; for even when she was in -no trouble I have known her perfectly stupefied for twenty-four hours -after taking an opiate. I think it would be very cruel to hurt her, -and I am quite sure it would be useless. They had much better not come -here to-day, and I am quite certain that the doctor would strongly -object to anything of the sort if he knew how long it was before she -got rest.' - -'Has he not been here this morning?' - -'No; the orders were that he was to be sent for when she woke, but -that she was not to be disturbed on any account, until the effect -should go off naturally.' - -'Shall I, then, tell Bryan Duval,' said Miss Montressor, 'that you -think it would be useless to make any attempt at taking her evidence -to-day? He is very energetic and deeply interested in this business, -but he has a great objection to wasting his time on his own account, -or on other people's account; and if she could not see them, he would -be greatly annoyed at having been brought up here on a useless errand. -Suppose you were to send round and ask the doctor, Bess?' - -Mrs. Jenkins thought this an excellent suggestion, and forthwith -proceeded to carry it out by means of Jim, who she interviewed in the -hall, mindful of her sister's incognito. - -'You've a head worth half a dozen,' was Jim's approving comment upon -the commission with which he was intrusted, to the increase of his own -sense of importance, which had been largely cultivated by Thornton -Carey's confidence. 'I will just go round at once, and ask whether -Mrs. Griswold is to be disturbed on any account whatever.' - -Jim departed on his errand, and returned with marvellous celerity. The -doctor's orders were that Mrs. Griswold was not to be disturbed, was -not to be allowed to see any one, and he added that he would look in -at five o'clock in the afternoon. - -'Then I tell you what it is, Bess,' said Miss Montressor. 'I will just -make the best of my way back to the hotel, and put off this -appointment; Bryan Duval will know where Mr. Carey is to be found.' - -Mrs. Jenkins accompanied her sister to the street-door, and once again -encountered Mr. Thornton Carey there. He had come in order to -ascertain the very fact of which Miss Montressor was about to apprise -him, and perfectly agreed, on hearing their report, that no further -steps should be taken on that day. He looked exceedingly worn and -weary, and in answer to Miss Montressor's eager inquiries, informed -her that no further information had transpired, but that his own -conviction that the murder had been at first instigated from this side -was deepened by every additional item of information which he had been -able to gain respecting the magnitude and complication of Mr. -Griswold's commercial transactions, and the conflicting interests -involved in their failure or success. - - -* * * * * * - -When her sister left her, accompanied by Thornton Carey, Mrs. Jenkins -returned to her watch in Helen's room, from which she removed the -infant, by this time awake. - -Lurking under all her true womanly sympathy and acts of helpfulness in -the great calamity of the household was a sense of deep personal -disappointment; the heart of Mrs. Jenkins was filled with two great -affections, one towards her husband, the other towards her sister, and -her intellect contemplated but two absorbing pleasures; the first, the -presence of her Ephraim was denied to her by Fate in so conclusive a -manner that she had ceased to fret over it, for practical common sense -had a large share in her organisation; the second, a personal -observation of her sister's celebrity, success, and proficiency in her -profession she had counted upon as within her reach, and now the great -event had taken place, the star actor and his company were in -possession of the boards of the Varieties, all New York was talking of -Miss Montressor, the papers contained specific and voluminous -descriptions of her appearance, dress, manners, and also indulged in -dainty anecdotes respecting off-the-boards utterances of hers to the -favoured few who had yet seen her in private. From all these glories -and delights Mrs. Jenkins was excluded by hard Fate, which had hit her -by a back-handed blow. Once or twice she had cherished for a moment -the notion of slipping out for half an hour, and occupying some -unobtrusive corner of the theatre, where she might see her sister for -a few minutes in one of her great impersonations, and slipping back -again unsuspected, but her better feelings utterly prevailed over the -temptation. She could not leave her mistress, and she could not bear -the contrast which the gaiety and brilliancy and pleasure of a theatre -would present to the awful desolation of the fine house to which she -had once thought of coming from the poverty and the difficulties that -had condemned her to parting with Ephraim. 'It must be sheer heaven to -live so,' she said with just one sigh, given to the recollection of -the high hope with which she had heard the promise of her sister's -coming, she went back to the painful round of her duties, many of them -self-imposed. - -Helen Griswold had the faculty of winning the love of all those in her -employment, and there was not a servant in the house who would not -willingly have shared Mrs. Jenkins's watch, but she had a notion that -as she was the only wife and mother among them, she could draw nearer -to the bereaved wife and mother who still lay there in merciful -unconsciousness; so the hours wore away and Mrs. Jenkins watched her -patient. The doctor came, looked at the sleeping form on the bed, felt -the pulse, touched the clammy forehead, listened to the faltering -breath, and went his way, declaring it still safe to leave her -undisturbed. - -'If she could sleep all round the clock,' said he, 'so much the -better. Twenty-four hours' oblivion is not to be lightly thought of in -such a case as hers.' - -'I am afraid, sir,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'she will have to see the -police people tomorrow, that it cannot be put off longer, because they -talk of sending an agent to England by the next mail.' - -'In that case,' said the doctor, 'when she wakes let her have food and -stimulants; take her up, give her a warm bath, and, according as you -find her nerves stronger and her mind clearer, prepare her for the -task that lies before her. I shall see her in the morning, and will -remain here to meet the gentlemen who are coming.' - -Late that night Thornton Carey again called to hear the doctor's last -report, which he did from Mrs. Jenkins, and then, begging, if -possible, to prepare Mrs. Griswold for the trying visit upon which -they were obliged to insist, at eleven o'clock on the following day, -he went down to the theatre, where the performance was just coming to -a close, and joined Bryan Duval. They returned to the Fifth-avenue -Hotel together, and held a long conference, which lasted long into the -night. - -Immediately after Thornton Carey left Mrs. Jenkins, she once more -pressed into her service the indefatigable Jim, despatching him with a -note to Miss Montressor, adopting the periodical fiction that Mr. -Carey had employed her to communicate on his behalf with that lady, -who wished to know the latest accounts of Mrs. Griswold; but the -purport of her note was to beg that Clara would come up to the house -as early as she could on the following morning. 'The truth is,' wrote -Mrs. Jenkins to her sister, 'I am exceedingly worn out, and though -they are very willing up here, they have not much sense; and in case -there is a great to-do to-morrow morning with the gentlemen and the -police people, I do not feel equal to it all by myself or with only -Justine, who is as incapable as any foreigner I have ever met, though -not bad meaning. So, my dear Clara, come up if you can at all. Mrs. -Griswold, who has been sitting up and talking quite rational, has -taken a great fancy to you, and would, I am sure, be very glad that -you should be with her in case I broke down altogether, which does not -seem unlikely, and would be a very had job, especially for baby.' - -As this invention jumped precisely with Miss Montressor's own wishes, -she acceded to it with great alacrity, and with the full and cordial -consent of Bryan Duval, with whom she communicated that very night. - -'Quite right, my dear Clara; you are a capital person in emergencies, -and everything of the sort is first-rate study.' - -Miss Montressor arrived early, and was again conducted to the -dining-room where her sister soon joined her. - -'Mrs. Griswold had passed a good night, and was wonderfully composed.' -Mrs. Jenkins related admiringly how she had risen early that morning, -allowed herself to be carefully dressed, striven to eat the food which -was prepared for her, and made a great effort to be cheerful and -considerate towards her attendants. 'The only thing she is not equal -to,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'is trying to play with baby. She just looks -at her until the tears come, and then she turns away. Now she is quite -ready to see Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey, and I have left her sitting -before her writing-table, with a pile of papers and letters, sorting -them all as regularly and orderly as possible. She said so meekly, "I -must not waste these gentlemen's time, or give them trouble, you know. -I must be prepared for them." They do say in the house that she never -knew anything about business, and that Mr. Griswold thought she had no -head for it; but I am greatly mistaken if she hasn't a head for -anything she might choose to employ it in. She knows you are coming, -Clara, and said she thought it very kind of you, indeed, and that she -would be quite able to see you before the gentlemen came; but I think -that would be a risk. She would get talking to you about everything -Mr. Griswold said and did during the time you knew him, and that would -be sure to make her cry. I daresay there is not much composure really -in her; but the more she can keep her manner composed the better, and -those violent fits of crying are so exhausting.' - -'You are quite right, Bess,' returned Miss Montressor. 'I would much -rather not see her until after they have all gone away; then it will -do her good to talk it over in detail with me, and then to cry her -poor eyes out if she likes. So if you will just put me into a room -handy to the one you will put these people in, I will be ready in case -you are wanted. The only thing you must not do is give me the baby to -hold, for I don't know anything about babies, and, to tell the truth, -I don't like them.' - -With this amicable understanding, the two sisters were about to walk -up-stairs, and Mrs. Jenkins had assumed the distant manner which she -always put on when there was a risk of their encountering any of the -other servants, when their progress was interrupted by overhearing a -dialogue which was taking place in the hall between Jim and an unknown -individual. - -'Whoever can it be?' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'There are such strict orders -for no one but Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey, and the people with them, to -come in, that I cannot understand who Jim can be parleying with. I -will just go and see.' - -Mrs. Jenkins opened the dining-room door just sufficient to enable her -to catch sight of the unknown individual, and to whom Jim was -protesting, with characteristic vehemence, that something or other -which he had demanded was an out-and-out impossibility. - -The stranger was a man of rather low stature and slight figure, -dressed in a loose, shaggy coat, with a low felt hat pulled down over -his eyes, so as effectually to hide all the upper part of the face, -and he was speaking to Jim with great urgency, placing one hand -against the door, as if he dreaded that the servant, in the strict -appreciation of his duty, would close it against him by force. 'I must -see Mrs. Griswold,' he said; 'I must, indeed.' - -'It is quite impossible, sir; Mrs. Griswold cannot see any one. You -surely do not know the trouble the house is in, or you would not think -of asking such a thing. You must send up your message.' - -'I cannot send up my message,' said the stranger, 'it is totally -impossible; pray take up my request to Mrs. Griswold.' - -'I assure you, sir, it is useless to persist,' said Jim, 'and quite -out of the question that you should see Mrs. Griswold. Do you really -not know what has happened?' - -'I know nothing,' returned the man. - -'Then, sir,' said Jim, 'you had better know it--Mr. Griswold is dead, -and what's more, he has met with foul play.' - -The stranger started a little and exclaimed: 'How very dreadful! But -is there nothing else wrong? Is there nothing wrong with any one in -the house?' - -'No, nothing,' replied Jim, 'except that Mrs. Griswold is very ill -indeed, as might be expected; and you will now see, sir, how -impossible it is that she could receive you.' - -'I fear it is impossible. Can I not see any other member of the -family?' - -'There is no female,' returned Jim, 'except the baby, and she ain't -weaned; but you can see Mrs. Jenkins, the nurse, if you will step into -the dining-room; in case that can do you any good, I will go and call -her down to you.' - -In the general confusion, Jim, who had momentarily forgotten all about -Miss Montressor, advanced to the dining-room, followed by the -stranger, simply threw the door open, allowed him to pass through it. -and without having glanced into the room, went on his errand in search -of Mrs. Jenkins, who had withdrawn from the door and closed it as the -sound of the stranger's voice reached her ears; also, to Miss -Montressor's amazement, she had sat down, looking exceedingly pale and -faint; she was realising her apprehensions, Miss Montressor thought, -and breaking down in earnest. - -It was only a minute from the time Mrs. Jenkins stepped back from the -door until the stranger walked into the dining-room, at the farther -end of which were the two women, who both rose at the sight of him. -One, Mrs. Jenkins, cried out, 'Ephraim!' and rushed towards him; while -the other, standing still in rigid amazement, exclaimed, 'Mr. Dolby!' - - - - -CHAPTER III. -A WAY OF ESCAPE. - - -The amazement of Miss Montressor had a double origin; the primary one, -that Mr. Dolby should turn up, in this unexpected and extraordinary -manner, in a place with which he had no connection that she had the -most remote suspicion of; the secondary one, that her sister should -have rushed into that gentleman's arms, and called him 'Ephraim.' -Within the last few days her mind had been so absorbed in the terrible -details of the Griswold story, that Mr. Dolby had hardly crossed it; -and positively since that morning she had never remembered his -existence until the fact was recalled to her in this unprecedented -fashion. When she had thought of him at all, it was always with the -fixed idea that he had preceded her to America for the purpose of -watching her, and now she firmly believed her suspicions to be -realised; but even the rapidity of thought did not enable her to do -more than realise this fact before her sister said, turning to her, -while she still clutched the stranger by the arm, 'This is my husband, -Clara; what can you mean by calling him Mr. Dolby?' - -Never had the self-possession inseparable from anything like a fair -proficiency in her art stood Miss Montressor in such stead as at this -moment. She recovered herself instantly, and replied, 'My dear Bess, -is this really your husband, your Ephraim of whom we were talking only -a few minutes ago? How very odd that an accidental but strong likeness -should have led me to have imagined he was a friend of mine!' - -'So he will be a friend of yours, I suppose,' said Mrs. Jenkins, with -just the slightest possible revival of a combatant tone in her voice; -for even the joy of her husband's unexpected return could not silence -her from some measure of protest against her sister's indifference. -'And what in the world has brought you back, Eph, and why did you not -tell me you were coming?' - -'Why in the world was I sent for, Bess?' was Ephraim Jenkins's reply, -as he fixed his eyes upon his wife's face with an unmistakably sincere -expression of surprise. - -Miss Montressor was not prepared to find her sister's husband a -good-looking, gentlemanly, and well-dressed man; but these -circumstances made no difference at all in the sensation of quiet, -sincere, and irrepressible vexation with which she regarded this -meeting. It was her most earnest wish that she should never be brought -in contact with Jenkins under any circumstances; but to meet him under -the present, and at Mrs. Griswold's, where she had such strong motives -for disguising her identity with Mrs. Jenkins's sister, was especially -annoying to her. Of course the secret could not be kept now, was -almost her first thought, but it was worth trying for, and so she -unceremoniously interrupted the explanation which Ephraim was about to -give to his astonished wife by hurriedly explaining to him that no one -must know of their relationship. - -'Bess has made me a solemn promise,' she said, 'that she will not tell -it, and I expect you to observe it for her sake.' - -'Whoever do you suppose I am going to talk to about you,' said Jenkins -roughly, with an instantaneous relief, throwing off all the -gentlemanly manner and appearance, which was the merest disguise, and -with which he equally discarded his previously striking resemblance to -Mr. Dolby. 'Bess knows her own business, so do you; and if you don't -want to acknowledge her, I'm not going to peach.' - -'Thank you,' said Miss Montressor, with great self-command, and she -actually put out her hand graciously to her detested brother-in-law. - -He took it rather sulkily, and growled out that she need not be in -such a hurry to disavow folks that didn't want anything from her. - -'That's not my motive,' said Miss Montressor, 'as Bess will explain to -you. But I must go now; she won't want me to stay with her now she has -got you.' - -'O, pray don't go!' exclaimed Mrs. Jenkins. 'I do want to talk to -Ephraim, and find out how it is that he has dropped from the clouds in -this unexpected way, but perhaps you won't mind staying all the same. -There is no one in the boudoir, and I could take you up there while I -talk to Ephraim. Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey will be here very shortly.' - -Good-nature and curiosity united induced Miss Montressor to comply -with her sister's request. 'Very well,' she said; 'I will go to the -boudoir; you need not take me up, I know my own way there. Don't you -remember, Bess, I have been all over the house with you.' And she went -towards the door, but just as she had reached it, Ephraim Jenkins -stopped her with a question. - -'Would you mind telling me, Miss Montressor,' he said ceremoniously, -and with a half-ironical sort of bow, 'who was the individual for whom -you did me the honour to mistake me just now? Would you mind -mentioning his name? I find it quite unpleasant enough to have one -double, as I have already, without being accommodated with two.' - -'I mistook you,' she said, 'for Mr. George Dolby, who is an American, -like yourself, whom I knew very well in London. Pray don't be -offended; I assure you you might very well accept my error as a -compliment.' - -'Mr. George Dolby,' repeated Ephraim, with an intent frown upon his -face as of one trying painfully to retrace a track of thought or to -work out a puzzle; 'Mr. George Dolby, an American? Is the gentleman in -New York just now?' - -'To the best of my belief,' returned Miss Montressor briefly, 'he is;' -and with that she left the room. - -'By Jove, Bess,' said Jenkins, laying his hand upon his wife's -shoulder, holding her at a little distance from him, and looking into -her face with an expression of strange mingled suspicion, curiosity, -and amusement, 'it is Warren, and he has been up to his game with her -in London--it must be, you know; but I am precious glad he has come -back, though why he should not have let me know he is back, I cannot -tell. However, his being here at New York gets me out of a devil of a -mess that I should have been very much puzzled how to get out of -myself; though I will tell you what it is,' he continued, drawing her -close to him and kissing her fondly, 'I would have got into it ten -times over, and trusted to my own luck, or the devil's own luck, to -get out of it, for the relief the sight of your face gave me, and when -I found there was nothing wrong with you.' - -'But what brought you here, Eph, and how came you to think there was -anything wrong with me?' - -His wife was not to be won from her uneasiness, or diverted from her -wish to understand precisely what had occurred, by even the -affectionate assurance which was so dear to her, and she reiterated -her question very earnestly. - -'We shall have very little uninterrupted time, Eph,' she said; -'awful things have happened here. Mr. Griswold has been murdered in -England--you must have seen all about it in the papers?' - -'No, I didn't; I should have known the meaning if I had, on account of -Warren as well as on account of you, Bess; for I haven't forgot, and I -don't mean to, how kind Mrs. Griswold has been to you. Poor thing, she -is awfully cut up, I suppose.' - -'She's just heartbroken, Eph, and the police are coming here presently -to make her tell all she knows, poor soul; and as I was saying to -Nelly--to Clara, I mean--just now, that's not much, for they do say -Mr. Griswold was the closest man in New York about his affairs; and I -must leave you then and go to her; so you must tell me as much as you -can as quick as you can. Take off that great heavy coat, Eph, and that -hat, and sit down.' - -'No, no; I mustn't do that, Bess,' replied Jenkins, drawing the coat -still more closely round him, and ramming the hat still further down -over his eyes by a blow on the crown. 'Whatever are you thinking -about? They know Warren perfectly well here, and if they either took -me for him, and found out I'm somebody else, or else if they -discovered that there's anybody about so uncommon like him as I am, -they might have their suspicions roused, and set to look for him -directly. And that would not pay, Bess, my dear, neither on his -account nor on my own; for though I don't suppose they could do me -much harm, and for certain they couldn't make me out to be up to -any--deliberate harm, I mean--of course, it ain't altogether on the -square, this lay I'm on for Warren. And, then, if he should be up to -anything out-of-the-way-fishy, which I'm sometimes tempted to suspect, -and they find out that he is not at Chicago while he's pretending to -be there, even suppose they couldn't molest me at all, they certainly -could stop _his_ little game; and in our present circumstances, Bess, -my girl, we must remember that stopping his little game means stopping -our rations.' - -'Yes, yes,' said Mrs. Jenkins mournfully, twisting the end of her -apron about in her fingers in a way habitual to her in perplexity. 'I -know that, Eph; and yet I cannot tell you how uneasy and wretched I am -feeling, and have been feeling ever since we parted, and you went to -undertake this dark and dirty business for Warren. Dark we know it is, -and dirty I cannot but suspect it to be. O Eph, could you but give it -up? If you only would be satisfied to stick regularly to some kind of -fixed work, and let us live respectable, however poor!' - -'We couldn't easily be poorer than we've been when we lived -disrespectable,' said Jenkins, with a kind of surly good humour; 'and -I think I could stick to work if only the pay would stick _to me_--but -where is it to be had? You can't have forgotten, Bess, how hard I -have had to work in this place, and how I never got any for a -constancy--yes, yes, I know what your shake of the head means, and -you've good right to shake it, I'm not going for a moment to deny -that--and how, then, Warren was always giving me, or getting somebody -else to get me, odd jobs. Well, one can't work steadily at odd jobs; -it ain't in the nature of things, nor yet in one's own nature. If -one's business is unsteady, one must be unsteady with it; and where -any thing except odd jobs is to come from, especially if I vex Warren, -and he shunts me off in earnest, I cannot guess. Can you?' - -'I think, Eph--indeed I am sure--Mrs. Griswold would be a good friend -to us, if you would let me tell her the truth--I don't mean about -Warren, of course, but about our difficulties. I think she would get -you a fixed place somewhere, through Mr. Carey's influence--and Warren -would never hear of it; or if he did hear of it, he would know, by her -ignorance of your being his brother, that you had not betrayed his -secret. And, after all, he would then be effectually rid of us, -Ephraim, and I think he would be very glad to be rid of us--or I -should say of you, because he does not know of my existence--at the -price of having his pride hurt by Mrs. Griswold or Mr. Carey observing -that there is a strong likeness between him and the husband of her -baby's nurse. Do think of it, Ephraim, and let me ask her, when she -has got over her great trouble a little, and can look beyond it for -the sake of other people. It will not be long first, for she is the -most unselfish woman, I do believe, in all the world. Will you let me -speak to her, Eph, when I can get an opportunity?' - -'Well,' replied Ephraim Jenkins, with a little reluctance in his tone, -as of an instinctive, irrepressible shrinking from the burden of a -threatened respectability in the future, combined with regular hours -and regular work, 'I don't mind--only, you know, _I must_ see this -piece of business through to the end; and now, Bess, I must tell you -what has brought me here; you were awfully anxious to know a few -minutes ago, until you went off at a tangent all about Mrs. Griswold, -and a fixed occupation and what not, and now you seem to have -forgotten all about it.' - -'No, I haven't, Ephraim dear,' replied his wife, as she put her arm -round his neck, and looked earnestly into his face; 'only the first -feeling of fright has gone off in the pleasure of seeing you again so -unexpected--for it did give me a shock of fright as well as a shock of -joy. I suppose it was some business of Warren's?' - -'_I_ suppose it is too,' he said; 'but I only suppose, for I don't -_know_--and you have thrown more light on it since I came than it has -had on it all through the journey, and before I started; for I came -off in such a desperate mortal fright about you, my girl, that I never -remembered, until I was hours on my way, that the telegram was -intended for Warren, and not for me at all.' - -'What telegram, Ephraim? I am all astray--I don't understand you. Did -you get a telegram? From whom?' - -'Yes, _I_ got a telegram, but I suppose, as you are all right, the -message could not have had anything to do with me.' - -He took out of a breast-pocket in his shaggy overcoat a crumpled and a -dirty telegraph form, which was to the following effect: - -'From Thornton Carey, New York, to Trenton Warren, 3 Bryan's Block, -Chicago. You are earnestly requested by Mrs. Griswold to come to New -York without delay. It is of the utmost importance that she should see -you. A terrible calamity has occurred.' - -Mrs. Jenkins read this document twice over with the seriousness of a -person unaccustomed to telegrams, and then returned it to Ephraim. -'The terrible calamity, of course, means Mr. Griswold's murder.' - -'Of course that is clear enough now; but can you not understand, Bess, -that not knowing a word of that, and merely having this vague -instruction, and being so accustomed to be and see myself called -Trenton Warren in words and in writing, and, above all, having my mind -so full of you, the mere notion of a calamity in connection with this -house meant merely _you_ for my fears, and I started at once, never -remembering that Mrs. Griswold could not possibly have meant to -address me. It all came quite clear to me after a while, but then I -began to torment myself again with fresh fears. "What," I thought, "if -Bess should be very ill and dying, and have confessed it all to this -kind woman whom she likes, and Mrs. Griswold should have taken this -clever way of letting me know that she knows, and that I need not be -afraid of anything but just come to her at once?" From the instant -that flashed into my thoughts, Bess, you may guess I was in an agony -to get on every mile of the road, and I give you my word I could -hardly drag myself up the stoop to ring at the door-bell, so -completely had that second notion taken possession of my mind. I was -in such a state of alarm and suspense that, God forgive me, I do -believe the news that old fellow told me at the door did not seem half -terrible to me.' - -'You were always fond of me, Eph, any way,' said his wife, as she -kissed him heartily, while tears glittered in her frank sweet eves. - -'I should think so, Bess,' he replied. 'I am bad enough, I know, but -not such a duffer, no, nor such a brute neither, as I should be if I -ever leave off being _that_. Hollo! there's somebody coming. I hope it -isn't the police people, in which case I had better clear out. I can -come back, you know, when they're gone; but I've a constitutional -objection, to say nothing of the present circumstances, to being -inside a house with them.' - -The approaching steps were not those of undesirable intruders. It was -only Annette, who had brought the baby--she carried the little -creature very much as Moggs carried Gabriel Varden's sword, as if she -was terribly afraid of it--to her nurse. Annette explained that the -child having grown restless, madame had rung her bell, and asked for -Mrs. Jenkins and on being told that Mrs. Jenkins had a friend to see -her, she had merely asked her to carry the child down to her. Annette -reported that madame was still where Mrs. Jenkins had left her, -sitting at her writing-table sorting letters and other papers, and -that she was quite composed, though looking very ill and mortally -pale. And Annette, to whom Miss Montressor had been most gracious, had -just glanced into the boudoir as she came down-stairs, and found the -celebrity fast asleep. - -Mrs. Jenkins laughed. Her sister had always been famous for a most -enviable power of going to sleep. 'I never remember a time when -Nelly--Clara, I mean--could not eat and sleep, no matter what -happened, or to whom it occurred,' she said admiringly to Ephraim, who -remembered that those faculties were useful, but not particularly -sentimental, 'and that for his part, he liked a touch of nerves about -a woman; least-ways what some people called nerves, but he called -feelings.' - -In this pointed remark Ephraim Jenkins did injustice to his fair -sister-in-law. Miss Montressor was by no means deficient in feeling, -but she was very healthy, and just now she was very tired, so that it -was her nature to sleep under the circumstances, and sleep she -accordingly did. Having made her communications, Annette tripped out -of the room, after having honoured Mrs. Jenkins's visitor with a -condescending bow and a long, steady, attentive stare, of which he was -uncomfortably conscious, and which he tried to avoid, but in vain. - -He need not have felt alarmed, however, at any risk of recognition by -Mdlle. Annette. She merely remarked in soliloquy, 'How all these -Yankees resemble one another in an astonishing fashion. When one has -seen one of them, one has seen them all, except just in the regard of -height and thinness. It is only in France that we find variety of -physiognomy.' - -'What a pretty child!' said Ephraim Jenkins, touching the infant's -dimpled cheek with his finger, as it lay close to his wife's -breast--'not much like our poor little man, Bess?' - -'No, bless her heart; not like him in the plump healthy face, but -sweet and clever like him;' and the mother, who had not buried -her dead out of her memory, hugged the baby with a slight -rapidly-suppressed sob, and loved her husband all the more dearly for -the reference to the little crippled sufferer who had been her -treasure and her heartache in one. - -'Now then, Bess, we must consult about what is to be done, for I do -think things look extremely queer. The last communication I had from -Warren was from London, and there was nothing at all unusual in it; he -merely enclosed some letters to be sent on to New York, and sent me a -lot of blank signatures. He has never given me the slightest inkling -of what his business in England is really about. By the bye, isn't it -odd that there should be the same sort of mystery about what Mr. -Griswold has been doing over there? I wonder if they were in the same -boat.' - -'I have heard Mr. Warren spoken of among the servants,' said Mrs. -Jenkins, 'as being Mr. Griswold's greatest friend, but I have never -heard them say anything about any business partnership between them, -and there is no other name in the firm that I know of.' - -'O, then I suppose they were not mixed up in business,' said Ephraim, -'and I must say, knowing what I do of my worthy brother, I should feel -inclined to add, so much the better for poor Mr. Griswold during his -own lifetime, and for those whom he has left to profit by his gains. I -suspect they would find them materially reduced if Warren had had the -handling of any of them. Of course, I have not had much to do with his -affairs down at Chicago; but there is a precious lot of bogus in what -I have had to do with, and I have been asked some very nasty questions -lately--in writing, of courser I mean, and in his person, which I was -totally unable to answer; and as he didn't authorise me to go in for -cable expenses, I have been obliged to leave them unanswered, and I -expect some of my correspondents are getting rather impatient under -these circumstances. Bess, you will observe that what Miss Montressor -let out just now when she took me for Mr. Dolby has rather a curious -meaning; for suppose Warren should have left London, as her account of -Mr. Dolby seems to imply, he will not have got my last letters -informing him of the dilemma in which I find myself; and how I am to -get out of it I am sure I can't tell should this be the case. Of -course, as long as I felt sure he was in England, it was tolerably -plain sailing; there was nothing to fear but delay; but if he has left -England and come back here, and is hiding about anywhere and not -communicating with me, I consider something much worse than delay is -to be apprehended, and I don't at all bargain for getting into any -extensive and difficult scrape in the matter. So that you see I had -more motives than one in coming up immediately on receipt of the -telegram; because, though I really did make the blunder I have told -you of in forgetting that it could not be addressed to me in reality, -I have had for some weeks a great wish to find out, if possible, what -Warren is about. I don't think I can be involved in any serious -mischief, because I have taken such care never to forge his name--all -papers that have left my hands bearing it are genuine signatures.' - -'That's a comfort,' said Bess; 'but how can you find out anything about -him here? You can't go to any of the places where he is known without -betraying him.' - -'That's just my difficulty,' said Jenkins, 'because it's a perfectly -new light to me that his real business friends here, the people with -whom he is actually mixed up in big transactions, verily and indeed -believe him to be at Chicago. My notion was that it was only some one -or two particular persons he wanted to impose upon; but the matter -takes a completely different complexion now that I find out his most -confidential people here believe him to be where he is not.' - -'How do you know they are also imposed upon?' asked Bess. - -'By the telegram, my dear. Of course Mr. Carey must have got the -address from Mrs. Griswold, or at Warren's office--there can be no two -ways about that--and of course, under the circumstances, they would -not deceive him, nor can Mrs. Griswold be reasonably supposed to be in -ignorance of his whereabouts. If any one was to be in the secret, it -would be the people in this house; and now it is plain that Warren is -deceiving them all round, and, you see, it isn't pleasant. He was -always a good hand at getting from out of one more than one bargained -for; but I must say, in this matter I should like to know what amount -of dirty work I am expected to do, and how deep the dirtiness is.' - -Jenkins had said all this in his usual light and careless way, and -while he was speaking had kept playing with the baby in his wife's -arms; but she, watching him closely, discerned very real alarm and -anxiety under his slightly-swaggering manner and at once well-founded -fright. - -'Ephraim,' she said, laying her hand upon his arm impressively, 'have -you ever been sorry for listening to my advice?' - -'Never, Bess', he replied; 'but I have very often been sorry for not -listening to it.' - -'Well,' she said, 'hear it and take it now. Of course, I understand no -more, but a good deal less, of what your brother's object and actions -are than you do; but something within me, something which I have heard -before now in my life, and which never told me a lie, says plainly to -me that you have put yourself into a dreadful danger; that whatever -Warren is about it can be no good, and it is going wrong. Just think -for a moment. I suppose it was for the best of purposes in the world, -but how mad a thing it must be for any man well known in business in a -great city like New York to imagine that he could successfully pretend -to be in one place while he is in another, in these days of -telegraphs, for any length of time beyond a few hours or days at the -outside. He is a clever man, well up in business, and must have known -this,--the difficulty would have been quite plain to him,--and -therefore it is only reasonable to conclude that he had some motive -for running this great risk strong enough to induce him to throw aside -all his knowledge of business, and all his shrewd habits of -calculating the consequences. Is this motive likely to be a good one, -to say nothing of the crooked ways and the deceit through which he has -to carry it out? I think you know your brother by this time too well -to give him credit for good motives; besides, good things do not need -doing in the dark. Now I will tell you what you must do, Eph, and you -must do it at once if you want to save me from distraction, and -yourself from being mixed up in the ruin which I am certain is coming -on Warren. Whatever he intended to do while he was supposed to be at -Chicago he intended to do quicker than this; he never can have -imagined that the sham could be prolonged up to this time; and your -not having heard from him, his not having returned, or, if what Miss -Montressor says is the case, that he has been passing under the name -of Dolby, and that he has come back to America, which would make it -all look much more extraordinary and more dangerous, it is plain that -he has failed, and failure in any object which he had to gain by such -risky means must have a big meaning, and you must get out of it, Eph.' - -'Get out of it, Bess? How am I to get out of it? I will do anything -you tell me; you have got a clearer head than mine--since I have been -down there at Chicago I have come to think myself no end of a -bungler--but all your clear-headedness won't see my way out of this -fix, at all events until we can get hold of Warren. If he comes back -and shows up, I will promise you I will face him, and tell him at once -that I will have no more of it, come what may; and I can't stir a peg -until he does come.' - -'Yes you can, Eph, and you must,' said his wife; 'you must, or we -shall be utterly ruined, without doing him any good. I feel convinced -this is no business matter, but something very bad, in which he has -not succeeded, and which will involve us all. Now this is what you -must do. Get back to Chicago without an hour's delay, without seeing -any one, bring away all the business papers, take them to Warren's -real place of business, and get off to England.' - -Jenkins stared at her in open-eyed wonder. 'Get off to England! What -on earth for?' - -'How can I tell?' she said, rather impatiently. 'I speak under an -irresistible impulse and a great fear. You must have done with this -thing, and this is the only way to get rid of it.' - -'But I haven't money to do all this,' said Jenkins. 'You don't suppose -Warren would trust me with more than he could help; and if I were to -leave him in the lurch in this way, I shouldn't like to take any in -advance, you know; that would look as ugly as anything he may have -been doing, for I suppose the worst of it has been dabbling in other -people's dollars.' - -'Don't fret about that,' said his wife; 'there is a good deal coming -to me, and I have had some handsome presents since I have been here, -from people who have come to see the baby. I said nothing about it to -you in my letters, because I thought I should like to have a little -fund saved to give you a pleasant surprise. How thankful I am for it -now! Even if it should not be enough, I know Mrs. Griswold, who has -been most kind and generous to me, will help me, help me too in her -ladylike and considerate way, without asking me any distressing -questions. Besides, there is Nelly--Clara, I mean--she would help me -in a minute; but I would rather not ask her for any help of that kind, -but rather trust her to get you some employment in England.' - -'You're settling it all, Bess,' said Eph, shaking his head doubtfully, -but still with a lightening of his countenance and an additional -cheerfulness in his voice, which brought the consoling conviction to -his wife's mind that he was rapidly being swayed by her argument, and -seeing in her own she was tracing relief and a future. 'You're -settling it all very comfortably, and I believe you're right that it -is about the best thing I could do.' - -'It is the only thing!' said Bess emphatically. - -'I don't like leaving you behind,' he said; 'there's a big difference -between being parted as we are now, you in New York and I in Chicago, -and being parted as we should be then, you in New York and I Heaven -knows where, on the other side of the ferry; and I don't like it.' - -'I don't like it either,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'but it can't be -otherwise, Eph dear, just now. You and I have to turn over a new -leaf--you know you have promised me you will begin, and I believe -you--but it is likely to be hard work just at first, and we shall want -help from good friends. The best I have in the world, I feel quite -sure, is Mrs. Griswold, and I could not desert her in this great -trouble; first, for gratitude sake; secondly, for policy sake; and -thirdly, because if I ask her to help us I must be ready to say I am -prepared to help her. That is only fair, you know; but I will follow -you, Eph, before very long, before the little store of money I shall -be able to let you take with you is exhausted, even if you should not -have good luck. But I feel you will have good luck, and Nelly--Clara, -I mean--will be sure to be able to get something for you, even from -the very first; now that she has seen you, she will know that you -won't disgrace her recommendation.' - -A rapidly-suppressed smile at his wife's enthusiasm crossed Jenkins's -face. He did not absolutely believe that Miss Montressor had been -captivated by her brief interview with him; but he secretly thought it -by no means improbable that Miss Montressor would be glad to secure -herself from any ill-timed allusion on his part to his extraordinary -likeness to her very intimate friend Mr. Dolby, which might be -embarrassing on this side the Atlantic, by facilitating his passage to -the other; so that as his reflections on those Bess had reached the -same result, he did not think it necessary to descant upon the -divergence of their mental paths. - -The desperate intentness of his wife's representations was seconded by -Ephraim Jenkins's own conviction, and he became more and more serious -as she pointed out how it must be known that Warren was being -personated, since he was mixed up with the affairs of the Griswolds, -and had been sent for in this emergency. She impressed upon her -husband that his own danger of discovery could at best be delayed only -until, weary of getting no reply to their telegrams and letters, Mrs. -Griswold's friends should send some one to Chicago, and their -ambassador would instantly discover that Warren was not at that city. -This final representation had more effect upon him than any of her -foregoing arguments. It showed him that the bubble was close upon -bursting, and immediately won him to obedience to her wishes. - -After that their interview lasted only a few minutes. It was arranged -that he should start for Chicago that night, and immediately on his -arrival should telegraph, in reply to Mrs. Griswold's message, that -Warren was absent when it arrived; that he should then make immediate -preparations for his own departure, warning Warren by letter to London -of his determination, and come away, bringing all the business papers -with him for deposit at Warren's office. This done, he was again to -see his wife, receive from her the promised funds, and sail for -England within a week, leaving Warren forewarned as far as lay in his -power, but otherwise to get out of the Chicago scrape as well as he -could. - -It did not escape either Ephraim or his wife that there might be -danger, supposing Warren should have returned to New York, of Eph's -encountering him, which would have the double disadvantage of -involving Ephraim in either the abandonment of his project of escape, -or in a violent quarrel with his arbitrary brother. Mrs. Jenkins was -much more disturbed when this possibility occurred to her mind; but -recollecting that if Warren should be skulking about New York, he -would be quite certain to avoid either his own offices or the steamer -wharves, Eph would be safe from the risk of encounter, provided on his -return he went to only those two places. - -All this, and much more, having been hurriedly agreed upon between -them, the husband and wife parted most affectionately, and though with -much distress, with a dawning of hope in both hearts, and a conviction -on the part of Mrs. Jenkins that Ephraim had really and truly turned -over a new leaf. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. -ESCAPED. - - -A few minutes after Ephraim Jenkins had left the house, and before his -wife had checked her tears and resumed her composure sufficiently to -present herself before Helen, Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey arrived. -They were accompanied by two persons of grave exterior and formal -manner, with that peculiar stamp upon them which distinguishes the -police-officer, whether of Scotland-yard, or the Rue Jérusalem, or the -Tombs; calm men, lean and inscrutable, to whom the atmosphere of crime -and difficulty was air naturally breathed, and on which they throve in -a not jubilant, but nevertheless satisfactory, sort of way. - -'It gave me a dreadful turn, my dear,' said Mrs. Jenkins to Miss -Montressor, 'when they came in. I was just crossing the hall and going -up-stairs with baby, and I cannot tell you what a curious feeling it -was, and how glad I was my Ephraim was out of the house.' - -'Why, what on earth had your Ephraim been doing, that you should be -afraid of two police-officers?' said Miss Montressor, who was not -easily impressed by sentimental imaginations. - -'He hadn't been doing anything,' returned her sister rather -indignantly; 'but they had such an extraordinary manner about them, as -though everything in the place belonged to them, and after they came -in our souls were not our own, that I assure you I felt as if I had -been doing something that I might be taken up for, and every one of -the servants might have been stealing the plate, to judge by their -looks. As for Annette, she disappeared altogether. Mrs. Griswold -wanted her to find some keys for her, and I had to go up-stairs and -cause her to come out of her room, where she was double-locked in, as -if there were a warrant out for her.' - -'Silly French idiot!' said Miss Montressor parenthetically. 'I should -rather like to have a look at these police-officers. I have seen our -magistrates at home, you know, at least some of them--beaks, they call -them--remarkably jolly and good-natured men, I thought.' - -'Then, you see, you were not a prisoner, my dear,' said Mrs. Jenkins. - -'Well, no more are you, nor any other people in the house. What a -set of geese you all are!' - -'You're so strong-minded, Clara; and it is uncomfortable, and always -seems like bad luck somehow, when any of these people come about a -quiet, well-conducted house.' - -'Ah,' said Miss Montressor, with a very genuine sigh, 'the bad luck -has come in here before the police, not with them, and it will stay -after them. Poor creature, how is she?' - -'She received the gentlemen quite calm and quiet,' said Mrs. Jenkins; -'but of course I don't know anything, since I was only a minute in the -room.' - -This short dialogue took place in Helen's boudoir, whither Mrs. -Jenkins had gone to seek her sister after she had ushered Helen's -ominous visitors into her husband's library, where she was awaiting -them. Miss Montressor had by this time awakened from her nap, greatly -refreshed and reinvigorated, and was looking very dainty and -captivating; she had arranged her hair by the aid of a pocket-comb and -a pocket-mirror which invariably accompanied her, together with a -cunningly-devised little casket containing pearl-powder, to the use of -which, to say the truth, she was too much addicted off the stage; and -she was now perfectly prepared to undergo a whole set of new -sensations with regard to the Griswold murder, for in that familiar -phrase had the at-first-vague calamity ranged itself in the minds of -Miss Montressor and Bryan Duval. - -The interview between Helen Griswold, her two friends, and the police -officers lasted so long, that the grievous apprehension possessed Mrs. -Jenkins as to the effect which such sustained interrogation, with all -its horrors of assumption and actual pain, must produce on Helen's -enfeebled frame. To the acute and experienced eye of Mrs. Jenkins, who -had done a great deal in the way of nursing invalids in her time, and -who had that quick perception of illness natural to woman, however -uneducated, Helen's health had suffered much more severely under the -excruciating trial of the last three days than Thornton Carey or Bryan -Duval believed. In her very composure Mrs. Jenkins saw partly an -unnatural effort and partly physical exhaustion; she did not cry, or -scream, or throw herself about, or give way to any violent -demonstration of the suffering which was racking her, quite as much -because she was unable to do so, as because her good sense and her -resolution induced her to give as little trouble and inflict as little -distress upon the friends who were nobly endeavouring to aid her as -possible; but they perceived only one of these reasons for her -quietude. - -In voice, that most distinctive symptom, as well as in face, Helen -Griswold was changed; something was gone from both destined never to -return to them: the sweet clear _timbre_ in the former, the roundlike -brightness in the latter. In after years Helen was a handsomer woman -than she had been in those days of honoured and happy matronhood, in -her splendid home with the husband who was so devoted to her; but the -beauty of these latter years was of a different cast from that in -which he had taken such delight and it indicated a mind matured and a -heart strengthened, both results reached by a process of untold -severity. - -That Helen would be very ill, so seriously ill that she would be -unable to think of anything except her bodily ailments for some time -after the immediate pressure of the actual business imposed upon her -by her calamity should have been removed, Mrs. Jenkins felt thoroughly -convinced, and therefore she was anxious that all the business which -could be got through to-day should be got through; and as the time -went on, and no sound of departing footsteps could be heard passing -the door from the boudoir, where she and Miss Montressor remained, she -was satisfied that they were going into all the matters connected with -Mr. Griswold's affairs within Helen's sphere of knowledge thoroughly -and at once. - -In this supposition Mrs. Jenkins was perfectly correct. It had been -agreed between Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey that all the information -which could possibly be extracted from Mrs. Griswold should be -acquired on the present occasion; so that, if possible, she should not -again be troubled with the distressing presence of the judicial side -of the dreadful occurrence, but left to the tranquillising effect of -time and quiet. - -So, when the four men were ushered into the presence of the young -widow, who received them in her husband's library, to enter which and -meddle with the papers to which she had never had, during his -lifetime, any access, gave her a pang of exceeding sharpness, they -found her, as Mrs. Jenkins had described her to her sister at an -earlier hour in the morning, very calm, but mortally pale. - -Throughout the whole of that prolonged interview, under all the forms -interrogative, retrospective, speculative, and narrative which it -assumed, no change fell upon Helen's face, no tinge of colour touched -its waxen paleness; she was perfectly collected, and her natural -quickness of apprehension was entirely unimpeded, but her eyes had a -fixed vagueness and lightness, produced by overwhelming fatigue and -the influence of opiate. Her mechanical, unexcited manner, and patient -waiting and submission to the question-and-answer mood adopted by her -interlocutors, assisted them materially, and caused them no little -astonishment. A woman who always gave the exact answer to the exact -question, and never required to have it asked twice, was a novelty in -their experience; and as the examination, including in it all the -circumstances which had preceded Alston Griswold's departure, -progressed, it was plain that unless they could find a clue in the -information which they were receiving from Mrs. Griswold, that clue -must be sought for in a totally different set and combination of -circumstances, for there could be no doubt of the retentiveness and -accuracy of her memory and the unembarrassed plainness of her -statement of facts. - -Copious notes were taken of her narrative of everything which had -occurred up to the eve of Alston Griswold's departure. She was closely -questioned as to his and her own social relations. Her statements on -that point were few and simple. She and her husband had a large -acquaintance but few friends, in the sense of habitual daily -intimates. It was not her taste to cultivate such, and Mr. Griswold, -though a man of very genial disposition, was almost as reserved and -home-loving as an Englishman; she could, in fact, indicate but one -intimacy on her husband's part of the nature and extent which the -questions put to her indicated--this intimacy existed in the person of -Trenton Warren. - -At this point in Helen's statement Thornton Carey informed her for the -first time of the steps that had been taken in order to procure -Trenton Warren's attendance at New York, and his intervention in the -efforts which they were making to obtain a clue to the perpetrators of -the crime. - -She had almost forgotten him, until the questions of the -police-officers respecting the daily habits and associates of her -husband had recalled him to her mind; the recollection arose even -while she was speaking of him, with a dreary wonder that a few days -ago a complication in her domestic history caused by him should have -seemed so serious, and have been struck into absolute nullity by the -undreaded calamity that had come to teach her how far facts might -outweigh fancies in terror and in pain. While the men were speaking to -her, asking her questions, to which she was giving almost mechanical -answers, her mind was busy with that interview between herself and -Trenton Warren, which now seemed hundreds of years old, and of -infinite unimportance; and she had suffered it to worry her, she had -thought about it and let it interfere with the frankness and -brightness of her very last communications with the husband who was -never to know a thought or word of hers more. - -How she hated her folly, but doubly she hated the man who had inspired -it! What did it matter now--what could it really have mattered then? -Had she not allowed a chimera to take possession of her mind, to -intervene between her and that full confidence, that full -acquiescence, in every wish of Alston's that was due to him? Then -Helen's good sense told her that she must not allow feelings of this -kind to intrude just at present; that she was not in a fit state to -disentangle the real from the imaginary, or to weigh with the -scrupulous exactitude which it deserved the influence that that -interview had had upon her recent life. Then she said simply, in reply -to Thornton Carey's communication with regard to the telegram, 'I -suppose he has arrived?' - -'No, he has not,' said Carey; 'and that forms one of the difficulties -in our way of proceeding just at present, besides constituting a very -vexatious delay in the information, which we hoped to have completed -by this time for transmission to Liverpool.' - -'Where is he, then?' - -'We don't know.' - -'In what terms did he answer the telegram?' - -'We have received no answer, and this puzzles us extremely.' - -'Would you mind telling me,' asked Helen, 'in what words you put your -message?' - -Thornton Carey took out his pocketbook, and read a memorandum of the -exact form of his despatch to Trenton Warren at Chicago. - -Helen repeated it slowly, and then said, 'I am not so surprised at -your receiving no answer. It is best, gentlemen, though this is a -matter which cannot possibly have any bearing upon the subject into -which you are inquiring, that I should tell you at once, in justice to -Mr. Warren, who would otherwise seem to have acted a strange part with -regard to so intimate a friend as my Alston, that he did not extend -his friendship to me, and that Mr. Warren and I are not at present on -good terms. I therefore think it very likely that your having sent the -message in my name has occasioned him to take no notice of it. He -would not associate it with Alston, because he is in direct -communication, as he believes, with him, whereas he knows that I have -not been; so he would naturally suppose that any news affecting him in -any way would have been transmitted direct to Chicago, and therefore -his mind would be quite easy with regard to anything which might have -occurred here.' - -Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval exchanged looks. They admired the -candour and the courage of this woman, who thus told a fact which -might naturally excite grave suspicions in the minds of the two -officers in her presence, grave suspicions of her own loyalty to her -dead husband, by the admission that, so far as this man's intimate -friendship was concerned, there had been a decided division of -interest between them. - -The police-officers also exchanged looks, and probably each understood -the meaning of that of the other--they were not identical with those -of the two gentlemen. In that moment Helen Griswold put the end of the -thread into the hands of Justice; the ball was a long way off and -hidden in some windings of the mass, but the way to it would be found -by that hint. - -'I think, gentlemen,' continued Helen, 'that if you believe Mr. -Warren's presence at New York to be indispensable to your arriving at -a true comprehension of my husband's affairs, you had better telegraph -to him again in the name of the police authorities.' - -The two men bowed acquiescence. - -'And tell him in the message quite distinctly what it is that has -occurred.' - -'Certainly, Helen,' said Thornton Carey; 'this shall be done at once. -If you had been able to hear that I had already telegraphed for -Warren, or that I had anticipated any delay in his reply, I would have -told you, and thus a great many hours would have been saved. If I -telegraph immediately, at what hour could he leave Chicago, do you -know?' he said, addressing one of the police-officers. - -'If he left to-night,' was the reply, 'we could not possibly see him -until Saturday morning. You must send your message at once, Mr. Carey, -and make it as pressing, conclusive, and indeed imperative, as may -be.' - -'That's a long and serious delay,' said Bryan Duval. 'At what hour on -Saturday does the steamer sail for England?' - -'It will be late next Saturday,' said Thornton; 'the tide doesn't -serve till five.' - -'Lots of time,' returned Bryan Duval cheerfully. 'We shall have Mr. -Warren here in the middle of Friday night, interview him on Saturday -morning, and send our man by the mail.' - -'Sharp practice, Mr. Duval,' said the police-officer who had spoken -before, 'but quite within possibility, provided Mr. Warren can put us -on the track so unerringly as it looks like.' - -'Then, as it is clear that nothing more can be settled at present,' -said Thornton Carey, rising from his seat and approaching Helen, whose -hand he took gently in his own, 'I think, dear Helen, we may now -release you. You have told us everything which you can tell; you have -given us all the papers which poor Alston left here. Your immediate -concern with our wretched business has come to an end; we will leave -you to rest and peace.' - -'Peace!' she interrupted, but her face was still unchanged, and no -tears came to refresh the dimness of her black eyes. - -Bryan Duval and the two police-officers rose. - -'Have you any further suggestion to make, madam?' asked the one who -had already spoken. - -'No,' she replied faintly. - -'Perhaps you will allow me to make one?' he continued. - -She bowed acquiescence. - -'Though your husband's letters from London have been, as you have -explained to us, entirely free from any allusion to business, they may -have contained indications which would escape your notice, but which -may be of much utility in our researches. Have you any objection to -confide them to us, in addition to the business papers you have -already given us?' - -A large packet tied up with red tape lay on the table by the speaker's -elbow. - -'I have not the slightest objection,' returned Helen. 'Every word he -wrote to me from England was, like himself, generous and affectionate, -and I cannot conceive that any such traces as you allude to exist in -them, but I will put neither my judgment nor my will against your -experience. Thornton, will you kindly ring for Annette?' - -In reply to the summons Annette made her appearance, with a scared -expression of countenance and a tight hold of her skirts. She glanced -askance and fearful at the harmless-looking gentlemen, who were -standing bolt upright in front of her mistress's chair, and received -in silence Mrs. Griswold's order to bring her a certain green-morocco -casket which stood upon the little shelf at her bedside. - -Silence was maintained during the few moments of Annette's absence. - -She presently returned, and placed the casket on the table before Mrs. -Griswold, who opened it and took out a large packet of letters, -carefully arranged according to the date of their receipt, and tied -with pink ribbon. - -'They are all there,' she said sadly, as she handed the packet to -Thornton Carey. 'I placed the last there on the day I expected to hear -from him again--I little thought that story was true.' Still her face -was unchanged and her eyes were tearless. - -The quick eye of the police-officer had seen another object lying at -the bottom of the box from which Mrs. Griswold had taken her husband's -letters. It was a prettily-bound and gilt manuscript-book, with a -lock, indorsed in gold letters, 'My Journal.' - -'I beg your pardon,' he said, advancing and laying his hand upon the -open box, as Helen stretched out hers for the purpose of closing it; -'may I ask if this journal is yours?' - -'It is,' she replied simply; 'it is my journal since the day of my -husband's departure, kept at his request, written up for transmission -to him by every mail, and copied into this book.' - -'Madam,' said the police-officer, 'I have a difficulty in expressing -the wish that you should confide this journal, not indeed to us, but -to your friends. The smallest and most unexpected particular of the -occurrences of your life and household at home may aid in this -investigation. We are at present all abroad, and we must neglect no -source of information within our reach. May I ask if you have recorded -visits made to you, letters received by you, and any reports or -impressions in any way connected with Mr. Griswold's business, of -which he unfortunately kept you in ignorance, which may have reached -you during his absence?' - -'I do not think so,' said Helen. 'I know it is very full of gossiping -and trivial things, as well as of the daily occupations of my life; -but such as it is, Mr. Carey and Mr. Bryan Duval are perfectly at -liberty to read it, and, indeed, you gentlemen also, should you think -it well to do so. I had but a simple story to tell, and I have told it -simply.' - -With the same gentleness, the same mechanical steadiness that had -marked her conduct throughout, Helen removed the manuscript-book from -the box, and handed it, not to Thornton Carey, but to Bryan Duval, who -received it from her hands in silence and with a bow. He was -infinitely touched by the whole scene, and by the almost solemn -simplicity of the young widow. - -As had been arranged on their way, the two police-officers now took -leave of Mrs. Griswold, Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval remaining with -her for a few minutes after their departure. On leaving her they were -to go direct to the telegraph-office, to send the despatch in the -terms agreed upon to Trenton Warren. - -'I fear you are extremely exhausted,' said Thornton Carey, when he and -Duval remained alone with Helen. 'This has been a most trying ordeal -for you; but I trust it will be the last.' - -'There will be no need for my seeing Mr. Warren, will there?' said -Helen, in a low voice, her face for the first time changing and -assuming an expression of deep distress and anxiety. 'O Thornton, keep -that from me if you can!' - -'I don't foresee that there will be any necessity at all for your -seeing him,' returned Thornton, 'if it is repugnant and unpleasant for -you to do so; and I need not say that we will make every effort to -extract such full information from him as to enable us to act without -any further reference either of him or ourselves to you. You know that -well, Helen, and therefore you will be prepared, in case we should -find it indispensable to bring him in contact with you, to acquiesce -in the necessity--will you not?' - -'Of course I will. I have only asked you to spare if possible, and "if -possible" means not at the expense of avenging my Alston. I will bear -anything for that purpose, and few things could be more painful to me -than an interview with Trenton Warren.' - -'I think I know why,' was Mr. Duval's comment upon her words and her -expression, spoken inwardly of course, and with the additional -reflection that he had known few stronger situations, with more to be -made out of them, than the present. - -'What are you going to do for the rest of the day?' said Thornton -Carey. 'Are you going to try to sleep?' - -'No,' she replied; 'I have had enough of unnatural sleep, and natural -sleep won't come to me just yet. I am going to see my child for a -while, as long as I can bear it, and Miss Montressor has been good -enough to promise to come to me.' - -'Clara is a good soul,' said Bryan Duval parenthetically and heartily. -'Is she here now?' - -'I think so,' said Mrs. Griswold. 'She promised Mrs. Jenkins that she -would come early, and I fear that she has been detained. Now that this -morning's work is over, you will not object, will you, Thornton,' she -said, raising her eyes to him with a look of dependence and -submission, from which he shrunk, so full was it of her helplessness -and her pain, 'that I should take to her who saw my Alston last? Do -you know, Mr. Duval,' she continued, turning to the actor, and -producing the same effect upon him by that infinitely pathetic look, -'I have been thinking that the very last person to whom he ever spoke -a friendly word must have been Miss Montressor or yourself--I wonder -which it was?' - -'I don't remember, my dear Mrs. Griswold,' said Bryan, 'but I have no -doubt she will; women have fine memories for these small points, which -sometimes are of so much importance in their world of feeling. I don't -doubt that you will find hers faultless, and I am sure no friend of -yours will object to your talking it out now with this kind creature, -who feels for you, as I can bear witness, more than I thought it was -in her to feel. You have been very good and wonderfully composed -hitherto, and I confess I should not be sorry to hear that you had -given way to your feelings, and that all this composure was broken up -for a while at least. So Carey and I will go and work for you and do -our very best, and you must try and put this part of it out of your -mind for the present, knowing that you will not be disturbed or called -upon again unless it is a very desperate necessity indeed, and Clara -Montressor shall come and talk to you about your husband, and go over -every word he said to her; and, if I remember her account of it right, -there were few of them that were not about yourself.' With these words -he raised her hand respectfully to his lips, turned on his heel and -left the room, buttoning his tight-fitting frock-coat over the flat -manuscript volume which she had confided to him. - -He had stood in the corridor little more than a minute when Thornton -Carey joined him. They went down-stairs and out of the house without -exchanging a word; but when they had reached the street, they fell -into close consultation, and walked away towards the telegraph station -arm in arm. - -From her long interview with Helen Griswold, which came to an end -barely in time to enable Miss Montressor to get back to the hotel for -dinner, that kind-hearted celebrity returned very deeply affected. The -simplicity of Helen's life and mind, the quiet and matter-of-course -devotion to her duties, and her great courage and submission in her -trouble, affected the actress strangely, giving her glimpses of -realities in life and heroism in character to be found in everyday -spheres and commonplace actions of which she had entertained no -previous conception. - -She and Bryan Duval had a long talk that night after the performance -at the Varieties about Helen Griswold. In the interval Bryan Duval had -peeped into the pages of the manuscript volume which she had confided -to him, but which, together with the letters written by Alston -Griswold to his wife during his residence in England, it had been -arranged was to be formally examined by himself and Thornton Carey on -the following day. - -Until the arrival of Trenton Warren this was all that could be done, -and neither Duval nor Carey cared to meet before the appointed time. -The delay was trying them a good deal, and though their expectations -of success in ultimately bringing the murderer to justice were not -affected by it, they both felt considerable weariness and strong -inclination to be alone. This did not, however, interfere with the -curiosity with which Bryan Duval heard Miss Montressor's account of -the hours which she had passed with Helen Griswold. Bryan Duval was -accustomed to reading between the lines; he had read between the lines -of Helen's innocent, unsophisticated, and perfectly sincere record of -her life under its past and its present aspects, and he had formed a -theory of her mind, conduct, and future singularly near the truth, -though he believed implicitly that she was entirely unconscious that -any such indications as he had extracted from it were contained in the -simple annals of her girlhood and her married life, which had been -continued in her journal literally up to the day of its unconscious -close. - -On this point he said not one word to Miss Montressor, nor did he then -confide to Thornton Carey even the last of his impressions of Helen's -journal when they came to discuss it. He bestowed many words of -good-humoured approval upon the actress for her womanly kindness and -sympathy with Mrs. Griswold, and when they parted, Miss Montressor -carried away with her a not unpleasant impression that Bryan Duval -entertained rather a higher opinion of her as an individual than he -had previously done; an impression which was perfectly well founded, -and had arisen quite as much to the surprise as to the pleasure of Mr. -Duval, who entertained but a low estimate of human nature in general, -and was much too philosophical to exclude the types with which he was -most familiar and most closely allied. - -Thornton Carey had gone straight home after the despatch of the -telegram, which, as agreed upon, he had couched in most decisive words -and supported with the authority of emanation from the police -magnates. He strove hard to turn his mind away from the subject of his -grave preoccupation during the evening, reading resolutely on one of -his old lines of study, and resolved to rest his faculties thoroughly -in order to recommence his work upon the morrow with brightness and -efficiency. - -Most of the visitors to the hotel in which he was staying had -breakfasted before he came down to the dining-room, only a few almost -as belated as himself were finishing their meal. He stopped in the -hall as usual, and bought his morning supply of journalistic -literature, and having seated himself and called for his coffee, he -turned the pages of the _New York Herald_ with but languid interest, -which, however, was changed into vehement excitement by the very first -announcement in the long list of latest intelligences which met his -eye, stated in the largest capitals, and with all the emblems which -indicate the record of a great disaster. - - -Twenty minutes later, Thornton Carey was at Helen Griswold's door, -which was opened to him as usual by the faithful Jim, to whose -astonishment Mr. Carey addressed to him, instead of his ordinary -inquiry as to the condition of Mrs. Griswold, the abrupt question, -'Have any newspapers come today?' - -'They have come, sir,' said Jim; 'have got them here.' - -'Has Mrs. Griswold seen them?' - -'No, sir; no paper has been taken up to her room these two days. There -is no more news of Mr. Griswold, is there? They haven't caught those -villains?' - -'Good heavens, no; if they had I should want her to see the papers, -not to have them kept from her. Give me that one out of your hand, -Jim'--it was also a copy of the _Herald_--'and go up-stairs at once, -see if Mrs. Griswold is up, and say I beg her most particularly to see -me.' - -Jim obeyed with alacrity, and Thornton Carey followed him closely up -the long staircase, halting only in the corridor which led to Helen's -room. It was her voice that replied to Jim's knock, bidding him come -in, and he heard her say, in reply to the servant's inquiry, 'Mr. -Carey? I thought it was understood he would not require to see me -to-day. Something new must have happened. Show him in at once.' - -Helen met him almost at the door, and immediately accosted him. 'What -have you come to tell me, Thornton? Do not be afraid; my child is -saved,' she laid her hand upon the snow-white curtains of the bassinet -in which the infant was sleeping as she spoke, 'and my husband is -gone. Fate can hardly harm me sorely any more. Come in and tell me at -once.' - -Thornton followed her into the room, and noticed that Mrs. Jenkins was -busy at the dressing-table with some little matters of the child's -toilet. Helen had been up early, was fully dressed, and about to -breakfast in her dressing-room. She looked better than on the previous -day, and before Thornton answered her eager questions, he insisted -upon knowing what sort of night she had passed, and whether she had -taken a proper quantity of food. - -These questions he put to Mrs. Jenkins, who answered both -satisfactorily. 'Come, come,' said Helen, interrupting and -remonstrating, 'you have something to say. Again I ask you tell me at -once--what is it? Does Mr. Warren refuse to assist us, even when he is -not asked by me? Is he so false to his friendship with Alston, or does -he carry his resentment into refusing to aid in punishing his -murderer?' - -She seated herself on a small sofa by the fireplace, and pointed to -the chair near her, which Thornton Carey took. As they were now -placed, she faced the dressing-table at which Mrs. Jenkins was -engaged, the child's cradle was on her right hand, the chair occupied -by Thornton Carey on her left. - -Mrs. Jenkins paused slightly in her occupation, and asked, 'Shall I -leave the room?' - -'Certainly not,' replied Helen. 'I have no secrets from you.' - -'Pray do not go, Mrs. Jenkins,' said Thornton earnestly: he infinitely -dreaded the effect of the news he had come to tell Helen Griswold, and -eagerly caught at the chance of that efficient person's presence in. -case she should be quite overcome by it. 'The fact is, my dear Helen,' -he went on, glancing at Mrs. Jenkins, and by a stealthy gesture of his -hand drawing her attention to what he was about to say, and her -vigilance for Helen, 'an unexpected obstacle to our thorough -investigation of Griswold's affairs has arisen. It comes, as you have -divined so quickly, from Chicago.' - -At the mention of the word Mrs. Jenkins started irrepressibly, came a -step or two forward, holding some toilet article unconsciously in her -hand, and in evident undisguised suspense upon Thornton Carey's words. - -'The newspapers too,' he went on, 'contain intelligence of an accident -upon the railway between New York and Chicago. We had no reason to -suppose that Trenton Warren had left Chicago, or was either at New -York or in the vicinity at any time within several weeks, but it may -have been so, and his absence from Chicago would account otherwise -than as you accounted for it, for his having returned no answer to our -first telegram. Whatever may have been the cause, there is no doubt -that he was in the train to which this serious accident occurred last -night on his way from New York to Chicago. I regret to tell you that -the accident was a very serious one, and that among the list of -passengers killed is the name of Trenton Warren. - -'This is another blow for you, my dear Helen,' he continued, as she -sank back in her chair, and clasped her hands. - -But at that instant Mrs. Jenkins sprang towards him with a piercing -scream and crying out, 'No, no! for me--for me!' fell down senseless -at Helen's feet. - - - - -CHAPTER V. -A CLUE. - - -It was Thornton Carey who darted forward, and kneeling by Mrs. -Jenkins's prostrate form, endeavoured, in the helpless manner which -all men employ under similar circumstances, to restore animation by -raising her head and chafing her hands; for Helen, overcome by the -suddenness of the nurse's attack, at first sat motionless in her -chair. After a moment all her womanly readiness and sympathy returned -to her, and having summoned Annette to her aid, they lifted Mrs. -Jenkins on to an adjacent sofa and busied themselves in their work of -restoration. Not that the French waiting-maid was of much use as an -assistant; she seemed to think that the seizure of Mrs. Jenkins, on -whose clear-headedness and promptness of action the whole household -had been for the last few days reliant, was the climax to the family -misfortune; and she wrung her hands and beat her breast and _Mon -Dieu_'d in a manner which, under other circumstances, would have been -extremely irritating. But Helen was busily engaged in gently bathing -the sufferer's head with eau de Cologne, and paid no attention to the -waiting-maid's lamentations; while Thornton Carey, who had a keen -sense of delicacy, had retired to the window, where, while apparently -gazing with great interest into the street, he was drumming with his -fingers on the glass, and endeavouring to-arrive at an elucidation of -the scene which had just passed before his eyes. - -'For me--for me!' this strange woman had cried out just before she -sank upon the floor; her meaning, taken with the context of what had -passed before, being that the death of Trenton Warren, which had just -been announced, was as a blow, not to Helen, but to her. Who was she, -this mysterious woman, who had of late assumed so important a position -in the household, from whom, as Helen herself allowed, she had -received so much affectionate assistance, and in whom she seemed so -thoroughly to confide? She had even been, to a certain extent, -admitted into the secret of their hopes and fears and their method of -procedure in attempting to detect poor Alston's assassins; Helen had -vouched for her fidelity, and, notwithstanding the sympathy of all the -household, had declared that in this nurse alone could she place -reliance. What had been her antecedents? It was as likely as not that -Helen, in her trusting girlish way, had taken the woman without any -proper references, simply because her face or manner pleased her, and -had suffered herself to be beguiled by an assumed sympathy and a -smooth tongue. Who could the woman be, and what could be her motive -for introducing herself into that quiet home? That she knew Warren was -clear--she herself had made it clear by this recent betrayal of her -feelings. What could Trenton be to her that she should fall senseless -at the news of his death? In the position which Warren occupied with -regard to the murdered man, Helen's friends were more deeply -interested in him than in any other person in the world; and now he -was dead, and here was this woman, usually so calm and collected, -unable to refrain from showing signs of violent grief at the news. -Could it be possible--and Thornton Carey's cheeks tingled at the mere -thought--that this woman had been some former mistress of Warren's, -and that he had taken advantage of his intimacy with Griswold to -obtain for her a comfortable place in his friend's household? No. -Thornton Carey knew little of Warren, but all that he heard of him -went to contradict such an idea; a man so generally represented as -cold, impassive, and even more immersed in the accumulated cares of -business than Griswold himself; there must be some other explanation -of the mystery, but what it was Thornton Carey could not at the moment -attempt to define. He began to find himself wishing that he had -brought Bryan Duval with him to the house; for that gentleman's ready -acuteness had made a great impression on Thornton Carey's mind, and he -felt half inclined to start off at once and lay before his friend this -newest phase in the mystery which they were endeavouring jointly to -penetrate. It was absolutely necessary that some explanation should be -given, and he thought he would say as much to Helen, whom he saw -crossing the room to speak to him. - -'She's a little better now,' murmured Helen, as she approached; 'she -has regained her consciousness, but her heart is still beating wildly, -and she has once or twice made an effort to speak, though her physical -strength seems scarcely sufficient to admit of her doing so. What an -extremely sudden seizure, was it not?' - -'So sudden and so extraordinary, my dear Helen,' said Thornton Carey -impressively, 'that I am eagerly desirous of having it accounted for; -and even at the risk of somewhat tasking this woman's strength, I -shall ask her to explain it as soon as possible.' - -'You imagine, then, as I do,' said Helen, 'that it was her hearing the -news of the accident which has happened to Mr. Warren that caused her -to faint?' - -'That and nothing else,' said Carey bluntly. 'Had you any idea that -she was acquainted with Warren? Has she ever mentioned his name, or -referred to him in any way? More than that, can you recollect whether -she has ever shown any emotion when his name has been alluded to in -her presence?' - -'I had no idea that she was even aware of his existence,' said Helen. -'She came to me since poor Alston's departure, and in this house, at -least, I am certain she has never set eyes upon Mr. Warren.' - -'It is essential for the purposes of our investigation that we should -know exactly what her relations with Warren are or were; and under -your approval I purpose asking her a few questions.' - -'You will not be hard upon her, Thornton?' said Helen, looking up at -him. 'You will remember that the woman is poor and ill, and has -already suffered a good deal from the loss of her own child--you will -think of these things when you speak to her, I am sure?' - -'You may rely upon my discretion,' said Thornton Carey. 'I only want -to come at the truth, and I will evolve that in the gentlest manner -possible.' - -'Mrs. Jenkins is better,' said Annette, crossing the room from the -side of the couch where she had been standing, 'and would wish to -speak to madame.' - -'Now is your opportunity, Thornton,' whispered Helen to him. 'Come -with me.' - -Mrs. Jenkins, who had raised herself to a sitting posture on the -couch, was perfectly pale; there was a tremulous motion in her lips -and a nervous wandering of her hands, which showed that she had not -yet got over the recent shock; but she did her utmost to nerve herself -as Mrs. Griswold approached her, and her eyes, as they rested on her -benefactress, had a soft and imploring expression. - -'Annette tells me you are better, nurse, and that you want to speak to -me,' said Helen, laying a kind light touch upon the patient's arm. -'You, however, scarcely yet seem to be yourself, and if there is -anything in what you have to say calculated to excite you, perhaps it -would be better to defer it until you are a little stronger.' - -'What I have to say, dear madam,' said Mrs. Jenkins, in a low and -feeble voice, 'ought, in the interests of truth and justice, to be -told at once; the longer it is kept to myself the longer I shall feel -myself guilty of gross deception to you, who have been so kind and -good to me.' - -'Deception, nurse?' - -'Deception, I am afraid, it must be called, dear madam; not that I -have myself actually deceived you, or that I would allow anybody -connected with me to do so; but that certain things have been going on -in which you were to some extent interested with which I was -acquainted, and which I have kept from your knowledge.' - -'I am perfectly certain,' said Helen, in her calm sweet voice, 'that -you have knowingly done me no harm; I am perfectly certain, from the -attention and devotion which you have shown to me since you have been -in this house, that if you could have stood between me and harm's way, -you would have done so. If; however, there is anything on your mind -which it will render you easier to get rid of, if you think to clear -your conscience by telling us--for this gentleman, Mr. Carey, is -entirely in my confidence--anything which you think it behoves me to -know, speak at once.' - -'You are right in saying that there is nothing I would not do to -shield you from harm, dear madam,' said Mrs. Jenkins, touching Helen's -hand with her wan lips. 'The intrigue in which I was passively mixed -up was arranged before I entered your house, and it is only within the -last few minutes--when I fainted, in fact--it flashed upon me that the -affair could possibly have any connection with your present dreadful -sorrow.' - -At these words Thornton Carey started, and bent forward his head to -listen more attentively. - -'Well, when you first engaged me to come to you,' said Mrs. Jenkins, -'you took for granted that I was respectable all through, and I hadn't -courage enough to avow the truth. I ought to have said who and what my -husband was and where he was then living. I should, but that he--but -that I--but that there had been something against him. Not that he was -not loving and good to me, and always had been, understand that, but -he got into trouble when he was a young man, and the memory of that -seems to have stuck to him, and respectable people were consequently -unwilling to give him employment, and he was thus forced to do what he -could, often what he hated, to gain a bare subsistence. - -'The knowledge of this sin of his early youth,' she continued, 'was -not confined to me. I shared it with his only brother, a man exactly -resembling him in size, feature, and complexion, but who has risen in -the world, while my poor Ephraim has sunk, and who made use of the -knowledge of the cloud hanging over Ephraim's head to employ him as -his agent in all kinds of dirty work in which he did not choose -himself to appear. My husband was known as Ephraim Jenkins, but his -brother of whom I speak, who has wrought upon us all this woe, and -through whom indirectly, if all I believe is true, I am now a widow -indeed, is called Trenton Warren.' - -'Trenton Warren!' cried Carey. - -Helen said no word, but sat with her eyes distended and fixed upon the -speaker. - -'Trenton Warren,' repeated Mrs. Jenkins; 'the man whom you now suppose -to be dead, but who, I fear, has been left for the commission of still -further crime, being, as I know him to be, the wickedest man on the -face of the earth. Listen. Some months ago now, Trenton Warren sent -for Ephraim, my husband, who was always at his brother's beck and -call, and had to do whatever he was told; this time he was desired not -to go to his brother's office as usual, but to name some place where -Warren was not likely to be recognised. They met, and Warren developed -his scheme to Ephraim, not then or by word of mouth, but in a letter -of instructions which he handed to him, and told him to read -afterwards. The main point in these instructions was this. I have told -you that the two brothers were exactly alike, so much so that it was -impossible for those who knew them best to distinguish between them. I -don't suppose it had often been much noticed, for Trenton Warren was -always well-dressed, and my poor Ephraim was scarcely ever out of -rags; but Warren knew of the likeness, and admitted it, and determined -to use it to serve his purpose; and the main point of the instructions -was this: that Ephraim was to personate his brother; that he was to -have plenty of money and live like a gentleman, and, in fact, to pass -himself off as Trenton Warren down at Chicago.' - -'At Chicago!' cried Thornton Carey, springing up from his chair, Helen -still preserving a stony silence. - -'Stay,' said Mrs. Jenkins, lifting her hand in supplication; 'stay and -hear me out. It was wicked, I know, but what were we to do, we were -near starving then? And besides, Trenton Warren knew the hold that he -had over Ephraim, and would have exercised it had there been the -slightest attempt to thwart him. What his motive for this duplicity -may have been, I know not, except that, being a motive of Trenton -Warren's, it was sure to be a bad one.' - -'It was your husband, then, who was at Chicago, and not Trenton -Warren?' said Thornton Carey. 'The information which I received at his -office as to his being at Chicago was, then, false?' - -'As to his being at Chicago, certainly, said Mrs. Jenkins; for part of -the time at least he has been in England, and not in Chicago, for my -poor Ephraim told me so.' - -'In England!' cried Helen, speaking for the first time. - -'Yes, dear madam; my poor Ephraim was here yesterday; he had come up -from Chicago in great trouble, in consequence of not having heard from -his brother, and also fearing that the telegram which Mr. Carey -addressed to Mr. Warren was really meant for him, and imagining that I -was ill; and I had a long talk with him here in this very house; and I -told him that come what might he must break with this horrible -connection, and assert himself, and turn over a new leaf; and live -like an honest man in the future. He said, at first, it was -impossible; but I told him we should find friends to help us; above -all, you, my dear madam, who have been so kind to me. And then he -seemed to be convinced, and he told me he would do all I asked him, -and he left me with the intention of becoming a reformed man; and now -he is dead--for I am sure it was he who was killed on the railway, and -not Trenton Warren--he is dead, and I shall never see him more.' - -While Mrs. Jenkins was concluding this speech, Helen had been writing -with a pencil on a slip of paper. As the poor woman finished speaking -she burst into a flood of tears, and seemed so thoroughly overcome -that Helen judged it better that Thornton Carey should leave the room; -and Helen motioned him to do so. As he passed by her, she placed in -his hand the paper on which she had been writing. Immediately on -gaining the library he opened it, and read these words: 'As sure as -God is in heaven, Trenton Warren is the man who has murdered my -husband.' - - -Thornton Carey read the paper, but made no comment on its contents. -His mind was too full to find any utterance just then; he too, as he -had listened to Mrs. Jenkins's narrative, had become impressed with -the idea that Trenton Warren might in some way be mixed up with the -terrible matter to the discovery of which he had pledged himself. But -he was a man; and one, moreover, with a calm judicial mind, accustomed -to weigh matters with deliberation, and not to leap hastily at -conclusions. He passed out of the room, and out of the house; he -thought it better not to allow himself the chance of any farther -discussion of the subject with Helen until he had fully thought it out -by himself. That was Thornton Carey's great secret of work; he held -that there was no problem so knotty that it could not finally be -'thought out' if due time were given to the process. Education and -circumstances had made him self-reliant; and he believed that in most -instances more could be done by his own unaided wits, when duly -applied to the solution of a difficulty, than by a discussion with -others, in which the proposition of various schemes would tend to -divert the mind from the due consideration of any explanation, no -matter how striking or original. - -Out of the house he went, then, and on descending the stoop, instead -of going down town as usual, he turned sharply to his left, and walked -away up Fifth-avenue at a swinging pace. Just at that time of day the -avenue was alive with people, some in search of pleasure, some in -search of health, who had come out to enjoy the soft mild weather, and -on foot and on horseback, in buggies, coupés, and open carriages were -making their way to Central Park. Scarcely one of these persons but -was attracted by the tall slight figure of the young man, who hurried -along with seven-league stride among them, but not of them, evidently -enwrapt in his own cogitation. The valetudinarians envied his free -step and the ease with which he carried himself; the pleasure-seekers -made their little jokes to each other about him as a philosopher, a -student, an eccentric, perhaps a madman. Thornton Carey heard none of -their remarks, and if he had, he would not have heeded them. He did -not see the people who whirled by him in carriages; he was scarcely -aware of the presence of those whose coat-sleeves he brushed in his -onward flight. While the human hive was still buzzing around him, he -could not give himself up to the luxury of untrammelled thought; with -all this whirling of wheels and clacking of horses' hoofs sounding in -his ears, he could not concentrate his mind upon working out the -problem which he had set himself. When once he found himself within -the limits of the Central Park, he turned rapidly out of the -fashionable promenade, and striking across a green expanse, dived into -a shrubbery, the narrow path through which was entirely deserted; and -there, unseen and alone, Thornton Carey, walking up and down, -commenced his self-appointed task of 'thinking it out.' - -Could it be possible, in the exercise of that woman's instinct which, -without any possibility of explanation, without any apparent rhyme or -reason, is so often exactly correct, that Helen Griswold had hit upon -the truth when she stated that Trenton Warren was the murderer of her -husband? He, Thornton Carey, must allow that some faint suspicion had -been engendered in his mind as Mrs. Jenkins's narrative proceeded; but -now was the time for him to sift and winnow the evidence which it -contained, and to come to his own straightforward conclusion. In the -first place, was the woman speaking the truth? He thought that might -be clearly answered in the affirmative. She was under obligations to -Helen, of whom she professed to be very fond, to whom indeed she had -previously shown a certain amount of fidelity and devotion, and there -was an air of veracity about her which, to him, was convincing. The -facts which she narrated she had received from her husband; and then -the question arose, was he to be believed? This was plainly a very -different matter. According to his wife's own showing, he had been -early in life mixed up in some dishonest transactions, the memory of -which clung to him in after years, and prevented his getting -respectable employment. Would not such a man, tabooed, disgraced, kept -down by his own brother, in order that he might use him for an -instrument in his dirty work--would not such a man be likely to tell -lies for his own advantage? Granted; but what advantage had he in this -instance? He and his wife were one; she was his confidante; she knew -the power which his brother held over him; why then should he attempt -to deceive her in the way in which that power was exercised? No; upon -a clear review of all the circumstances, Thornton Carey was compelled -to admit that the story told by Mrs. Jenkins was probably true, and -that while Jenkins was personating him at Chicago, Trenton Warren had -gone to London. - -He would have been in England, then, at the time of the murder: so -far, that was in favour of Helen's hypothesis. It agreed, too, with -the idea proclaimed with so much earnestness by Bryan Duval, that the -necessity for the crime had originated in New York and not in England. -The question of motive was, however, above all others, the one which -would require to be clearly and calmly examined, and Bryan Duval, with -his leanings towards the picturesque and the dramatic, was, Thornton -Carey thought, hardly the man to decide upon it. If Warren had taken -advantage of the confidence reposed in him by Alston Griswold to -pillage his friend to any considerable extent, if he, on his own -account, had been engaged in any schemes or speculations in direct -opposition to those in which he was ostensibly in partnership with -Griswold, then there would have been some slight reason, some shadow -of pretext for imagining that it would have been to his advantage to -silence his friend and prevent his own exposure. But that Warren, a -business man, and not a bravo, would risk the vast penalty accruing to -the crime of murder for the sake of accomplishing such a result--a -phase of civilisation by no means uncommon in New York commercial -circles--was what Thornton Carey could not and would not believe. -Still the mystery of Warren's being in London at the time when even -those in his employ believed him to be in Chicago, and the fact of his -having induced his brother to personate him in the latter place, in -order to throw all inquiries off the scent, was so suspicious, that -Carey deemed it right at once to make Bryan Duval acquainted with Mrs. -Jenkins's story, and with the result of his deliberations thereon. So -he came out of the shrubbery far less eager and impetuous than he had -entered it, and walked down at a quiet pace to the Fifth-avenue Hotel. - -On entering Mr. Duval's room, he found that gentleman lying at full -length upon the sofa, wrapped in a gorgeous blue-silk dressing-gown -faced with red, and his feet encased in Turkish slippers. It was Mr. -Duval's habit to indulge in an hour's siesta before going down to his -theatrical duties, and Thornton Carey was afraid that he had -interrupted the popular favourite while thus refreshing himself; but -Mr. Duval, hearing the door open, raised his head, and seeing who was -there, called to his friend to come in. - -'Sit down,' he said, 'and smoke a quiet cigar. I was not asleep; I -have been reading that diary of poor Mrs. Griswold's all day, and I -had just laid it down and shut my eyes to reflect upon two or three -points which struck me as curious. I find,' continued Mr. Duval, -slightly stretching himself, 'that to close the eyes conduces very -much to reflection, and is occasionally anything but disagreeable.' - -'I have been engaged nearly all day in consideration of the same -subject,' said Carey, 'and I came to see if you had a few moments to -devote to its discussion with me.' - -'A few moments, my dear fellow!' said Bryan, raising himself up on his -elbow to look at the clock, 'a couple of hours! The enlightened -citizens of this great republic do not expect to see their cultivated -entertainer before nearly eight o'clock--it is now little more than -five--so that I shall have ample time to hear you talk, to interpose -maybe a few humble suggestions, and to get down to the theatre with -the greatest ease. Proceed now; I am all attention.' - -Thus encouraged, Thornton Carey began the narration of the day's -experiences. When he began to describe his arrival at Mrs. Griswold's, -it was obvious to him that the great actor, notwithstanding his -professions of interest, was scarcely so attentive, or indeed so wide -awake, as he might have been; he kept up indeed a continuous refrain -of 'Hum!' and 'Ah!' and 'Dear me!' but his eyes were closed, perhaps -for the advantage of deeper thinking, his lower jaw relapsed, and a -soothing sound issued from his nose. When, however, Thornton came to -relate the accident which had happened to the train, and the death of -the supposed Trenton Warren, his companion roused in an instant. As he -proceeded to describe the terror which had seized Mrs. Jenkins, the -exclamation which she had uttered, and the fainting fit which had -ensued, Bryan's interest grew more and more intense. He sat upright -upon the sofa, leaning eagerly forward and drinking in every word; and -at length, when Thornton Carey had come to the end of Mrs. Jenkins's -confession, and had revealed the message which Helen had given him on -the slip of paper, to the effect that Trenton Warren was the murderer -of her husband, Bryan Duval brought his hand down heavily on the -table, and cried in a hoarse voice, 'By God, she's right!' - -'You think so?' said Thornton Carey. 'All the time the woman was -speaking I was haunted by an idea that such might be the case, and -when I read Mrs. Griswold's avowal of her strong impression I was -almost convinced; but I have been walking about in the Central Park -ever since, arguing the question out with myself, and I am fain to -confess that I am now strongly sceptical about it.' - -'For what reason?' asked Duval. - -'The absence of motive,' said Thornton Carey. 'Suppose Trenton Warren -had taken advantage of the confidence reposed in him by Griswold, had -used his knowledge of and power over their joint business affairs -heavily to pillage his friend, he had opportunities during Griswold's -absence of twisting accounts and destroying evidence, and would never -have gone to the extent of murder for the sake of concealing his -dishonesty.' - -'You are right,' said Bryan Duval. 'From all I have heard of Mr. -Warren, he would know far too much for that; but even he is human, I -suppose, and I think I can supply another motive by which most of us -are liable to be actuated, and which in this instance, if I am right, -has been all-powerful.' - -'And what is that?' asked Carey. - -'Combination of offended vanity and a desire for vengeance,' said -Bryan. 'When you came in, I told you that during the day I had been -engaged in reading Mrs. Griswold's journal, and that I had laid myself -down on the sofa the better to reflect over certain passages which had -struck me. This was the case just now, though you thought I was going -to sleep. Up to the time of your arrival I had not discovered the -meaning of those passages, but what you have said has given me the -clue.' - -'You think so?' asked Carey. - -'I am sure of it,' said Bryan Duval. 'But you shall judge for -yourself. I have read this diary through with the greatest attention, -and have marked certain portions of it for reference. It seems that it -was commenced at Alston Griswold's request; he intended that it should -be a record of all the events of her daily life, and should be sent to -him from time to time in lieu of ordinary letters. And that,' said Mr. -Duval, looking up, 'shows what a strange fellow he was and what -confidence he had in his wife. The idea of expecting any woman to tell -you all that she has been doing, much more all that she has been -thinking! Mrs. Griswold seems to have been a kind of pattern wife, for -there is certainly no one else of my acquaintance whom I should have -thought capable of strictly following such a behest.' - -'Mrs. Griswold,' said Carey, 'would obey her husband to the letter.' - -'Exactly,' said Duval. 'Now let us get back to the journal. You will -observe in this first marked passage that her idea of writing a -journal is that he may "follow her life from day to day, through all -the familiar hours of it, so that he may cheat himself out of the idea -of separation," and a little farther on she writes: "So I begin it -thus, in an irregular and unskilful fashion, no doubt, but with the -utmost sincerity of intention to write in it everything which can -interest him." I have read these passages to you to show how simple -and single-minded the woman was when she commenced her task; how fully -she intended that every thought of her heart, every prompting impulse -should be laid bare to the loved one far away. I will read you farther -passages now, which will show you how the idea had to be given up; how -certain experiences in her life were written indeed, but not for -submission to her husband's eye; and how the entries for his perusal -are mere domestic details about the baby, the nurse, and the doctor, -omitting any reference to the one great event in her life which had -happened since her husband's departure.' - -'Do you mean to say that this book shows any duplicity of Mrs. -Griswold's?' asked Carey earnestly. - -'Not the least in the world,' said Bryan Duval. 'God forbid for an -instant that I should be supposed to hint such a thing of so estimable -a lady. It was out of love and regard for her husband that she had to -keep back certain facts from his knowledge, as you shall now hear. My -next quotation, as you will see, is taken later in the book. - -"With all the relief which the absence of Alston's friend has given -me, there is a great pang of pain for Alston himself, and a horrid -sense of a barrier of concealment between us."' - -'She alludes here to Alston's friend. You see farther on she speaks -more plainly: - -"I have allowed so many days to elapse before I force myself into -commencing this self-communing, in sheer uncertainty of what my line -of duty is; and though I am now tolerably clearly convinced that -neither now nor ever must I reveal to Alston what has passed, the -conviction invests my task of writing to him with great pain and -difficulty. Somehow we seem to be doubly parted; first by distance, -then by a secret. How shall I bear to see him take up his relations -with Warren just where he dropped them, and to know, as I do know, how -his confidence is betrayed?" - -'There you see for the first time comes out the man! There is then a -passage to say she does not think that Warren has been false to her -husband in their business relations; but mark the next passage: - -"It would do my husband such harm in every way to know what has -occurred; his own frankness and loyalty of nature could hardly -withstand so great a shock; the world would be changed for him. No, he -shall never know it; I will trust to the chapter of accidents, or -rather, I should say, to the beneficence of Providence, to preserve us -harmless from his false friend."' - -'Good God!' cried Carey, starting up, 'this scoundrel must have made -love to Helen! Is not that how you interpret it?' - -'Exactly,' said Bryan Duval; 'and immediately after Griswold's -departure; but he must have met his match in Mrs. Griswold. By the -context, it would seem that she must have insisted upon his never -setting foot in her house again, and that he thereupon agreed to go, -as he told her, to Chicago, as this passage would seem to insinuate: - -"How cleverly, how skilfully this man has carried out this sudden and -complete change of all his plans; how reasonably he seems to have -accounted for leaving New York; no one seems surprised, and I am quite -certain not the slightest shade of suspicion that his departure is of -any consequence to me has presented itself to the mind of any of our -common acquaintance, though the close tie between him and Alston is -perfectly well known."' - -'The existence of that tie between them would have called public -attention to the fact that there was no intimacy between Warren and -his partner's wife, no acquaintance even, it would be imagined, if he -was forbidden calling at the house; and it was no doubt this that -suggested to him the advisability of going to Chicago.' - -'Probably,' said Duval. 'By the way, if we had had any doubt as to -whether this ruffian had dared to pay his addresses to Mrs. Griswold, -we should find it solved in this passage: - -"I believe the love of a man like Warren is half passion, half hatred, -and that the hatred swallows up the passion when it is effectually -checked. Whence that notion has come to me I know not; but it has -come, and with it a fear of this man's hatred, greater, if possible, -than my horror of his love."' - -'There is no doubt of it now,' said Thornton Carey, rising and pacing -the room with set teeth and clenched hands, 'nor have I a doubt that -he murdered poor Alston. He is doubly a villain, and I have a double -motive for revenge.' - -'What is to be done we will consult farther to-morrow morning,' said -Duval. 'I must be off to the theatre now; but I entirely agree with -all you say.' - -At this moment a boy brought a note to Thornton Carey, which he opened -and read. - -'It is from Mrs. Griswold,' he said. 'That poor woman, the nurse, has -been to the scene of the accident, and recognised the dead body, -supposed to be that of Trenton Warren, as her husband.' - - - - -CHAPTER VI. -HARKING-BACK. - - -The evening papers had full details of the accident, which were -eagerly discussed and speculated upon; Trenton Warren was a man of -such mark in New York society, that the news of his death created more -than an average amount of interest. Not that the news that he was dead -was received without question; Warren was considered far too smart a -man to allow himself to be gotten rid of in any unexpected manner; and -while one set of his friends maintained that some swindler had -endeavoured with dishonest intent to personate the great speculator, -others averred that it was merely a case of accidental though -extraordinary resemblance; while the third party, consisting of those -who had found themselves mixed up in opposition schemes, believed that -Warren was really dead, and that Providence had thus rid them of a -dangerous enemy. - -The next morning, Bryan Duval, attired in the gorgeous dressing-gown, -was sipping his coffee, when Thornton Carey, with somewhat of a worn -look on his usually bright face, entered the room. - -'You will think me an unconscionable bore,' he said, 'but I am so -haunted by this painful subject that I can think of nothing else, and -I have only you to turn to for assistance and advice.' - -'My dear sir,' replied Bryan Duval, looking up at him from under his -very effective eyebrows, 'you cannot do me a greater favour than to -interest me in the great drama of life; a study which has for me the -strongest and purest charm; a study the results of which I endeavour -to make manifest in those works which the public on both sides of the -Atlantic is pleased to approve of. Have you any farther news--you look -pale and anxious, my dear sir, as though you had been worried by some -farther complication?' - -'I have no farther news, and there are no farther complications that I -know of,' replied Carey, 'and my paleness is probably occasioned by the -fact of my having laid awake nearly all night thinking over those -which already existed. That woman's confession yesterday, and the -information which we received from the perusal of Mrs. Griswold's -diary, prove to me incontestably that Helen is right in fixing the -suspicion of her husband's murder on Warren by supplying the motive -for his crime.' - -'I am entirely of your opinion,' said Bryan. 'The scoundrel had made -love to Mrs. Griswold, and, afraid that she would communicate his -baseness to her husband on his return, made away with him; the -incident is not at all unnatural, or rather I should say is perfectly -dramatic. I have used it more than once in the course of my career, -and never knew it fail to bring down the house.' - -'I guess we shall find that he was influenced by other motives as -well,' said Carey. 'After I left you last night, I went carefully -through a portion of Griswold's papers, and by what I could glean from -them, I have little doubt that the poor fellow has been mercilessly -robbed by his trusted friend. It would be most important if we could -learn fuller particulars of Griswold's method of life while in -England; you have furnished us with most valuable information, but of -course yours was but a casual acquaintance with him. If we could only -get at some of those who were there mixed up with him in his business -transactions, it might materially assist us.' - -'I have been thinking of that also,' said Bryan Duval, 'and it appears -to me that our first step should be to try and find out what has -become of a certain Mr. Dolby, an American gentleman whom you may or -may not have heard mentioned by Miss Montressor. He was in England -immediately before the day of the murder, but I think spoke of -returning to America very soon.' - -'There would be no difficulty in ascertaining his whereabouts, I -should imagine,' said Carey, 'from Miss Montressor herself.' - -'Well,' said Bryan Duval, speaking slowly, 'that is a matter in which -we must proceed with a good deal of delicacy. There were, I imagine, -certain relations between Mr. Dolby and our dear friend Clara which -you, in your virtuous and secluded life, my dear sir, probably know -very little about, which nevertheless do exist in this wicked world, -and, so far as my experience goes, have great weight in the conduct of -its affairs. This being the case, in conversation with Miss Montressor -we must handle the subject very gingerly; for Clara, though a flirt -and a coquette, is thoroughly staunch and loyal, and nothing could -induce her to betray her friend.' - -'To betray him?' said Carey. - -'I use the word advisedly,' said Bryan. 'I have certain reasons in my -own mind concerning Mr. Dolby, and if they are correct--However, we -will go and see Miss Montressor, and you may leave the manipulation of -the subject to me. You will at once see the key-note I strike, and -then you can join in in the same strain.' - -They found Miss Montressor in one of the drawing-rooms, and happily -found her alone. She was standing at the window, looking down on -the gay crowd thronging Union-square, and reflecting with much -self-complacency that to most members of that crowd her name was -known, and that to many she was an object of admiration. How lucky it -was, she thought, that Bryan Duval's attention had been directed -towards her, and that she had come out to America, instead of wearing -away her life in the dull level of London theatricals! Now the success -which she had made in New York would be recognised in London (she had -taken care to have all her best notices regularly inserted in the -great London theatrical journal, the _Haresfoot_), and on her return -she would take up an undeniably leading position, and defy all the -intriguing efforts of Patty Calvert or Theresa Columbus for supremacy. - -In the midst of this agreeable reverie she felt a light touch on her -elbow, and on looking round she saw Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval -close by her side. - -'We want you to give us ten minutes' talk, my dear Clara,' said the -latter, leading her to a chair, while he and his friend seated -themselves close by her; 'we want a little information from you to -assist us in getting up evidence in this police investigation, which, -as you know, is now being made.' - -'Still upon that dreadful subject,' said Miss Montressor with a sigh, -but really delighted to be made of some importance; she had been long -enough with Bryan Duval to perceive the advantages of extensive -advertisements, no matter in what way--'still upon that dreadful -subject of poor Mr. Griswold's murder?' - -'Still,' said Bryan. 'You see the poor fellow talked more freely with -you than any one else, and as his life in England is a blank to the -police, they want to hear as much about it as possible. It is very -important that they should know with whom he associated while in -London, and I want you to tell us whether he ever named to you any -American friends whom he had ever met over there.' - -'Never,' said Miss Montressor, 'save when talking about his wife and -his home-life. He was what may be called a reserved man, and I never -heard him mention the names of any friends either in America or -England.' - -'Of course,' said Bryan Duval, who had been playing with his -watch-chain, but as he put the question raised his keen eyes and -looked her steadily in the face--'of course Griswold, or Foster as he -called himself, was well acquainted with your friend Mr. Dolby?' - -'O dear no,' said Miss Montressor promptly; 'Mr. Dolby particularly -avoided him.' - -'Avoided him!' cried Carey. - -'Not merely that; but desired me never to mention his name to Mr. -Foster, or indeed to any American. He said that his business interests -required that his presence in England should not be known.' - -The two men exchanged glances. - -'It would be of the utmost service to us in this painful business,' -said Bryan Duval to Miss Montressor, 'if we could be placed in -communication with Mr. Dolby. Your own intelligence, which I have -never hitherto known to be at fault, my dear Clara,' he added -gallantly, 'and which has come out very strong and clear indeed all -through these investigations, will show you at once that we must not -let any circumstance, however apparently trivial, slip, or any -indication, however faint, escape us.' - -Miss Montressor, whose ready appreciation of a compliment was not to -be influenced by any external circumstances, however serious, replied -at once that she thoroughly understood that point in the case, and -assuming a becoming gravity of demeanour, offered herself for -cross-examination concerning Mr. Dolby. She made, however, one mental -reservation, on which she resolved she would act with unflinching -determination; it was that she would not betray, in the course of that -cross-examination, however tortuous and severe it might be, the secret -of her former relations with Mr. Dolby. And as she made this mental -reservation, Bryan Duval knew she was making it, and did _not_ smile -at her simplicity in supposing he was likely to put any question to -her of the kind. For though Bryan Duval had no personal acquaintance -with Mr. Dolby, he knew all about Miss Montressor, and could have -astonished that lady not a little if he had thought proper to treat -her to a biographical sketch of herself. The same thing might have -been said of a good many persons in Miss Montressor's profession; they -would have been considerably surprised if he had revealed to them his -intimate acquaintance with their history. - -Miss Montressor accordingly gave a somewhat garbled and embellished -account of her relations with Mr. Dolby, and though Bryan could -plainly see that Thornton Carey was more puzzled than enlightened by -her story, and that he was very anxious to get her to be more explicit -and direct, he checked him in every attempt to give expression to such -puzzlement and anxiety by a series of looks which said, 'Leave her to -me, I know how to manage her,' much too plainly for contradiction. -Bryan Duval had early in their acquaintance impressed Thornton, as he -impressed everybody, with a sense of his great and versatile ability, -but equally with a sense that he liked to do things exactly his own -way, and had an unmistakable conviction that that way was the best. So -when Miss Montressor rambled, and Bryan Duval merely beamed upon her, -Carey submitted, and was presently rewarded by a peculiarly -intelligent glance from the actor, who was playing so admirably the -unaccustomed part of examining counsel, which unmistakably bespoke -Carey's vigilant attention, and indicated his own belief that a point -was being made. And yet Miss Montressor had only said: - -'I don't think Mr. Dolby was at all a sociable sort of person; he -never seemed to care about going anywhere, and he had a most special -dislike to being introduced to strangers.' - -'And that was the reason why you never extended the advantage and -pleasure of his acquaintance to me, eh, Clara?' asked Duval slyly; and -it was at this point of the interrogatory that he gave to Thornton -Carey the before-mentioned intelligent look. 'That was all right, of -course, as he was such a morose fellow, and you could not help -yourself--otherwise, your new friends ought to have been made known to -your old.' - -'Ah, but you weren't such an old friend then as you are now!' said Miss -Montressor ingenuously; 'and I am quite sure he would have objected -most strenuously to my having introduced him to you.' - -'Indeed! and why? Why should the general taboo have been made -particular in the case of your most devoted? Was Mr. Dolby of a -jealous turn?' - -'Nonsense!' said Miss Montressor, becoming very much confused on -finding that she was entangling herself in her explanation. 'How can -you ask such foolish questions? Of course not; but he had some strong -objection to be acquainted with actors.' - -'Not extending to actresses, eh?' said Duval, whose care it now was to -get her to commit and confuse herself as much as possible. - -'Don't be absurd, and do let me go on, if you want me to tell you -anything. I was going to say he had some peculiar objection to be -acquainted with actors, because he thought they would be injurious to -the serious and solid business connection he wanted to form in London. -He never told me what his business was, and I'm sure I never wanted to -know. All business is a bore until it comes to spending the money, and -I hate hearing about it; so I never bothered him on that score. He -once told me that as Mr. Foster was also a man of business, he might -be possibly mixed up with some transactions which would clash with his -own.' - -'Did he say that?' asked Thornton Carey eagerly. - -'Certainly,' said Miss Montressor; 'I recollect the expression.' - -'Now, Clara, pull your wits together, and answer this question -clearly--Did Mr. Dolby ever allude in any way to Foster's wife?' - -'Only in this way. At this same interview he asked me if Mr. Foster -were married; and when I told him "yes," and that he was always raving -about his wife, Dolby sneered, and said he hated men who aired their -domestic affairs before the world.' - -'Was that the last time you saw him?' - -'The very last. He took the precaution of calling himself Dolby when -he came to see me,'. continued Miss Montressor, floundering more and -more: of which fact Bryan Duval looked, this time, profoundly -unconscious. - -'The precaution!' he repeated; 'why the precaution? Was not Dolby his -real name?' - -'I really cannot tell you--I only know it was not the name he went by -in society, at his lodgings and so forth, for there he was known as -Mr. Dunn.' - -'Did he tell you so?' - -'Ye-yes, he did. I had occasion to write to him a few times, just a -trifling note now and then, and he told me I must not address him as -Mr. Dolby, but as Mr. Dunn.' - -Duval and Carey exchanged glances, and now listened to and watched her -with the deepest attention. This piece of information was of the -utmost importance, as pointing to something at least equivocal in the -character and position of the man who bore so strange a resemblance to -that other man whose fate was interwoven with that of Helen Griswold's -murdered husband. - -'Did, you not think that rather odd?' - -'Well, no, I didn't. I suppose I am too, much accustomed to people -having more names than one to think it at all remarkable. But I quite -understood him that he was obliged to be very careful, because he was -mixed up in business with a lot of puritans, who would be sure to -think he was neglecting his work and going to the bad if they ever -found out that he amused himself like other people. And that was one -reason, I think, why he was so particularly anxious not to be brought -in contact with Mr. Foster, because he would be sure to meet him under -another name, and it would be suspicious and unpleasant.' - -'You are quite clear that he was especially desirous that Mr. Foster -should not know anything about him?' - -'I am perfectly clear on that point;' and Miss Montressor's vivid -memory recalled every particular of the last interview between herself -and Mr. Dolby, shaking her head the while with an emphasis -confirmatory of her words. - -'That is an exceedingly important point,' said Bryan Duval, 'because -you see, my dear Clara, it is plain that Mr. Dolby must have known -something previously concerning Mr. Foster and the nature and purport -of his business in London, otherwise he would not have so regarded the -probabilities of their meeting as to make it indispensable that he -should keep out of his way when passing as Mr. Dolby; and it is just -this presumable knowledge of poor Griswold's business that makes Mr. -Dolby of so much importance to us in the unravelling of this story, -since we cannot get hold of any one who really does know enough about -it to be able to suggest a possible motive for his murder.' - -'I quite understand all that,' replied Miss Montressor, 'and I have -told you everything that can possibly throw any light upon it. Stay, -there's just one thing more. I called at his lodgings in Queen-street, -Mayfair, once--only once--it was after the last time I saw him, and I -inquired for him by the name of Dunn; but he had left, and gone, the -woman of the house thought--believed, I ought to say--to America.' - -'You and he had quarrelled, Clara, and you expected to find him -there, you sly puss!' - -'Perhaps so,' she answered, with a coquettish toss of her head; 'but he -didn't show up, you see; and I know nothing more about him.' - -'I hope you care as little as you know?' - -'You may make your mind quite easy on that score. My heart is not -fragile, and when it is broken, it will not be by Mr. Dolby.' - -'That's right, Clara, or by "the likes of him," as we make the Irishry -say in our Emerald Isle pieces. And now I'm sure you must be awfully -tired of all this _interrogatoire_, in which you have acquitted -yourself nobly, though your last little bit of information makes it -plain that Mr. Dolby, or Mr. Dunn, came out to America before we came, -and can therefore throw no light upon the murder of poor Griswold.' - -'I don't see that,' said Thornton Carey; 'if we could find him here in -New York, he could tell us what he knew of Griswold's secret business -in London, and in _that_ lies the germ of the murder.' - -'You think so, do you, my young friend? But then you are young, and -your knowledge of men and cities is a good deal limited.' This was -Bryan Duval's mental comment on Thornton Carey's remarks. His spoken -reply was more respectful, though vague. He merely said: - -'Of course, of course. But we need not detain Miss Montressor any -longer. You have some shopping to do, I know;' and he gallantly -conducted the lady to the door, after she had taken leave of Thornton -Carey in a most gracious and engaging manner. Then he returned to -Thornton, his manner entirely changed, his face lighted with a glow of -success, his eyes sparkling, and a hardly subdued excitement all over -him. - -'She has done it,' he said; 'she has unconsciously given us the clue. -And now she must be put aside, clean out of the whole business.' - -'What do you propose doing now?' asked Carey. - -'I propose devoting a few hours to work,' said Bryan. 'I have a -collaborateur whom I have kept waiting all the morning, and whose -claims I can no longer put off.' - -'I am exceedingly sorry that I should have detained you,' said Carey. -'Pray explain to the gentleman that the affair was of the utmost -importance, or I would not have--' - -'There is no gentleman to explain to,' interrupted Bryan, with a smile. -'My collaborateur is here,' he said, taking up a book of French plays -which lay upon his table. 'Messrs. Scribe, Dumas, Macquet, and other -French gentlemen, are good enough to work with me. Some foolish people -call it translation. I call it collaboration--a much prettier word, -and one which better expresses the process. And what are you going to -do?' - -'I am going to see Mrs. Griswold.' - -'Do you propose to tell her that the result of our inquiries so far is -that she was right in the communication she made to you--that Warren -murdered her husband?' - -'I do,' said Carey. 'I do not see how it can be avoided.' - -'Then I don't envy you your task,' said Bryan. 'You will have to tell -her about our perusal of her journal, and our discovery that that -scoundrel made love to her. You will have to give his dread of her -informing her husband on his return as the motive for the murder.' - -'I think I can save myself that pain and Mrs. Griswold that -humiliation,' said Thornton Carey. 'I told you, I think, in the early -part of our conversation that in my search through Griswold's private -papers I had lighted upon what I imagined to be traces of large -defalcations on Warren's part. These will require farther -investigation; but I am now in possession of the fact that Warren's -pecuniary position was not what was always imagined, and that he was -heavily indebted to his partner, no one else being cognisant of the -fact. This will be sufficient explanation to Mrs. Griswold, though I -have little doubt that amongst the reasons which impelled the wretch, -the other motive was the strongest.' - -'That certainly seems to afford a way of escape,' said Bryan, 'and I -wish you well through your mission. Let us meet to-night or -to-morrow.' - -He then left the room, and Thornton Carey fell into a deep and -serious fit of meditation, with the direct results of which, except in -so far as Miss Montressor's share in this story is involved, we have -no immediate concern. - -Before they parted, Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey reduced Miss -Montressor's statement to writing, and on the same evening Thornton -took the document to Helen, and read it to her, confiding to her in -detail the conclusions at which Bryan Duval and himself had arrived, -and the plan of action which they had determined upon, subject, of -course, to her approval and concurrence. Helen listened in the sad and -heavy silence which had succeeded to her first vehement and agonising -grief, and thoroughly approved of the project. - -In the mean time Bryan Duval had had a brief talk with Miss Montressor -at the theatre. She had had a reception of unabated warmth, and was in -high good-humour, so that she took Bryan Duval's advice that she -should not seek to see poor Mrs. Griswold again just at present, as -her health and nerves were exceedingly shaken, and the most perfect -quiet was indispensable to her, with entire equanimity. Miss -Montressor was quite sincere in her regard for Helen, and was truly -sorry for her; but she was a little tired of the murder and the -melancholy now that the excitement had worn off, and was not sorry to -give herself up with a sanctioned engrossment to the glories of -starhood. - - -The next day Thornton Carey had a second interview with Helen, and -informed her that he had succeeded in finding a substitute to -undertake his duties, and in obtaining leave of absence from his post. -Helen's strength and courage were beginning to revive with the hope of -the detection and punishment of the murderer of her husband. To that -detection and the insurance of that punishment the friend of all her -lifetime was about to devote himself. He left her presence for a long -interview with Mrs. Jenkins, who had returned from the scene of the -railway accident, bringing poor Eph's remains for burial at New York. -She had suffered so much from the shock of the calamity which had -befallen her that she had been forced to wean the infant, and thus her -formal nominal occupation in Helen's household had come to an end. But -mistress and servant were bound together by a new tie, that of a -common widowhood, and that tie would never be broken in this world. - -When Miss Montressor returned from the theatre that night, she found a -letter and an _écrin_ awaiting her. The latter contained a very -handsome bracelet of black enamel, with diamond stars and a monogram -in the same precious gems; the former was a kind and grateful _mot -d'adieu_ from Mrs. Griswold, who was going away to the Springs, and -deeply regretted that she was too ill to say good-bye in person. Miss -Montressor was delighted with the bracelet; but she wondered what Mrs. -Griswold would have thought had she known that she was carrying off -her sister without letting her bid her good-bye. But she was of a -philosophical disposition, and just then pleased, amused, and popular; -so that on the whole he regarded the circumstance as 'all for the -best.' - - - - -CHAPTER VII. -MR. DUNN. - - -The solemn but beautiful days of a fine English October, surely dreary -nowhere except in London, but there preëminently so, were half through -their number, when Mrs. Watts, the owner of a highly respectable -lodging-house in Queen-street, Mayfair, received with surprise and -gratitude the naturally unexpected application for apartments to let. - -It was just the time of year when there was least going on, when -people were quite decidedly 'out of town' whoever went out of town at -all, and people who hurriedly came back had not yet made up their -minds to do so. - -Mrs. Watts had quite a superfluity of rooms to let, though her -drawing-rooms were taken for what she had hoped as a permanency. The -disappointment of this expectation, however, did not enable her to -hold out the hope to the new applicants that she should be able to -afford them the accommodation of what Mrs. Watts quite sincerely -believed to be an unparalleled drawing-room floor; she was only going -to lose her lodger, she hadn't yet lost him; and the new applicants, -who made their appearance under exceptionably respectable -circumstances, with a large quantity of luggage, and in a handsome -hired carriage, were obliged to content themselves with the -dining-room, a large and commodious bedroom at the back of it, and a -pleasant bedroom upstairs, at a considerable height, for the -gentleman. - -The applicants were a gentleman and a lady, brother and sister, as -they hastened to explain; and Mrs. Watts was afterwards heard to -remark, 'That never was she more took by the looks of any one than by -those of the gentleman. She had nothing to say against the lady -either, who was very good-looking and quiet mannered, only she didn't -seem quite so much of a lady as the gentleman seemed of a gentleman; -and if there is anybody,' Mrs. Watts would add in conclusion, 'as can -see far through a deal board, a lone woman as lets lodgings in -Queen-street, Mayfair, is that person.' - -The arrangements were quickly concluded, and it was understood that -the new lodgers would come in that night; in fact, after a short -parley, it was proposed that the lady should remain with Mrs. Watts -then and there; while the gentleman went out to luncheon at a -restaurant, and undertook not to return until everything was in order. -This bargain concluded, the gentleman went his way; and the lady -applied herself, with the hearty coöperation of Mrs. Watts and a prim -housemaid, to the disposition and arrangement of the voluminous -luggage which had accompanied them, and which, considering the very -quiet appearance of the lady, who was attired in deep mourning weeds, -and had anything but a dressy appearance, might perhaps have been -brought rather as a certificate of character, in the event of it being -inconvenient to apply for recommendations, than as representing actual -necessity. - -Mrs. Watts was a very good-humoured woman, with a turn for -sociability, and a decided taste for gossip, which just at this season -of the year she found it particularly hard to indulge; for not only -were her own rooms standing empty, but those of her neighbours; and -her neighbours themselves were for the most part gone off on their -annual jaunts; an indulgence which Mrs. Watts did not allow herself. -She found the autumn particularly dull, and to the unexpected -gratification of letting rooms and taking money for them at an -unlikely period, when her neighbours were not letting their rooms, and -were spending the money they had accumulated during the summer, was -added the prospect of some pleasant talk with her strange lodger, in -whom she at once recognised a thoroughly approachable person. - -Accordingly, when the luggage was disposed of, a friendly cup of tea, -to be partaken of jointly in the dining-room, was gratefully accepted -by Mrs. Watts; who shortly found herself in the high tide of talk -respecting London, its goings-on, the advantages of the situation in -any street in Mayfair, and the difficulties of lone women who let -lodgings, with a person who frankly acknowledged herself totally -unacquainted with the great metropolis. - -'Your first visit, ma'am? Dear me,' said Mrs. Watts, 'how odd that -seems, to be sure! But your brother's been here before, and knows the -ways of town well?' - -'Yes,' said the stranger, 'I believe my brother, Mr. Clarke, knows -London very well indeed; but I feel rather timid about it, and it has -been a great anxiety with me as to where we should settle down for the -six weeks of important business that he has to carry through. I don't -want any gadding about or sight-seeing; I only want to feel sure of -being in a respectable house, where I can go my own ways and carry on -my own occupations just as if I was at home in my country village, -though, of course, I shall not object to a peep at the gay streets -sometimes.' - -'You won't see much gaiety in the streets or anywhere else in October -in London,' said Mrs. Watts; 'but if you like to be quiet and carry on -just as if you were in your own home, you could not be better off. -Then, as I say, for six weeks to come we've not a soul in the house -but Mr. Dunn, even if he was to stay, which I fear there is no chance -of; for he did tell me on Wednesday as he was going to America in -earnest.' - -'That's the gentleman in the drawing-room, isn't it,' said the -stranger, 'you are speaking of?' - -Mrs. Watts assented. 'And a very nice gentleman he is. We like him -very much, only we sometimes think he is rather odd; and I never saw a -man in my life as could not bear to be asked the slightest question -except Mr. Dunn. I do assure you he was quite angry with me for -wanting to know, which I thought was reasonable, when the -drawing-rooms was likely to be vacant; which I had to remind him that -it was fair on my part, for if he didn't give me notice he would have -to give me money. Well, do you know, he is that peculiar, that I think -he would rather have had to pay up when the time came, than tell me -out downright plain that he was going back to America in a fortnight.' - -'Really,' said the stranger, 'he must be an odd sort of man. Has he -been with you long?' - -'A goodish while now. He came back to us once after he had left us, -and I am sure then he went with the intention of going to America, -though he didn't say so; and something, I suppose, changed his mind at -the last minute, for back he came with all his luggage and reëngaged -his rooms, and here he's been quite quiet and contented ever since; -never gives a bit of trouble nor has anybody in to give more. However, -he's one of them lodgers, as I always say, as is too good to last, and -vexed that he was when I had asked the question, he did tell me that -he was really going this time.' - -'Really going! I should think everybody "really" went when such a -journey as America was in question.' - -'Not him, though, mum. I shouldn't be a bit surprised if we saw him -back again after he starts next time.' - -'What aged man is he?' asked the stranger carelessly. 'I ask, you -know, because it seems so odd that an old man should be so restless -and not know his own mind.' - -'O, he isn't old, bless you,', said Mrs. Watts; 'he isn't much above -thirty, if he's that; a small, slight, wiry little man; leastways I -call him little--I daresay you wouldn't--because all my brothers were -so uncommon big; looks as if he could bear any amount of journeys to -America or anywhere else, and think nothing at all about them, if he -had the spirits.' - -'Hasn't he spirits, then?' - -'No, he's very dull at times. He used to be a good deal jollier when -he first came, and he used to go to the theatre a good deal, and out -to dinner--leastways he didn't dine at home; but he's dropped all that -now, I suppose he hasn't any place to go to, and there are no theatres -at this time of the year, at least not theatres for gentlefolk, you -understand; there's places where they plays Shakespeare and that, -which people like him would never think of looking at; and so he stays -at home and mopes a good deal, I should think. At what hour did you -say you would dine every day, mum?' - -The stranger named the hour, and then went on to say, 'Then there -really is no one in the house but Mr. Dunn at present?' - -'Not a soul!' was the decisive answer. - -'I ask, you see, Mrs. Watts, because I have a great fancy for seeing -after my brother's room myself. When it has been made up in the -morning, I like to put his things tidy, lay out his dressing things -and collect his letters, and all that sort of thing; and as he will be -sleeping at the top of the house, and I at the bottom, I should have -to go up and down stairs to get at his things, and I would rather know -that I should not run the risk of meeting people about the house. If -there was any such risk, I should get you to tell me when was the best -time to make sure of their all being out.' - -Again Mrs. Watts assured the stranger that she could run no possible -risk of meeting anybody who could alarm the shyest individual. She had -already made her acquaintance of the housemaid; and unless she put -herself personally in his way she was extremely unlikely to encounter -Mr. Dunn, who hardly ever came down the lower flight of stairs except -to leave his letters on the hall-table, just before post hour, after -which he usually went out for a stroll, to return with exemplary -punctuality at dinner-time. - -The stranger thanked her for these assurances and for her general -civility, and Mrs. Watts retired to the lower regions, to issue orders -for the preparation of dinner for her new lodger in a satisfactory and -confidence-inspiring style. - -The arrival down-stairs and the stir in the house had apparently not -disturbed the secluded tenant of the drawing-room floor. He had indeed -thrown aside the window-blind and looked out for a moment, as the -heavily-laden carriage rumbled up to the door, but it was only because -the habitual emptiness of the street had hardly been interrupted -before that day. He saw a woman in deep widow's weeds step out of the -carriage, attended by a slight, active-looking young man, and enter -the house; then he let the blind fall, and returned to his occupation, -and thought no more of the incident. - -Mrs. Watts had some reason to be proud of her drawing-room floor. It -consisted of two very well-proportioned apartments, and a smaller -room, intended for the dignified purposes of a boudoir, but which, -under the lodging-house régime, served as dressing and bath room. The -sitting-room and bedroom were handsomely furnished, and presented an -aspect of very decided comfort, though it was a London house in -October; a cheerful wood fire, just enough to brighten the room -without overheating it, burned in the bright steel grate; a handsome -easy-chair stood near it, the castors buried in the thick white -sheep-skin rug; while a writing-table, laden with papers and the -paraphernalia of a business man, was wheeled into a convenient -position with regard to both fire and light. - -Let us have a look at Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Watts's model lodger, as he paces -the sitting-room from end to end, absorbed in meditations, which, to -judge by the abstraction of his countenance, have nothing whatever to -do with the actual scene. Mrs. Watts's brothers must have indeed -confused her notions of the stature of human beings out of Yorkshire, -to which county she belonged, if she considered Mr. Dunn a little man. -Other people would have pronounced him decidedly tall; his figure was -slim but wiry built, about twenty-eight years of age, with long, thin, -close-shaved face, small deeply-set eyes, and thin bloodless lips. He -walked up and down with a slow measured pace, his arms folded tightly -on his chest, and the fingers of each hand gripping the coat-sleeves -with a curious fixity of grasp, corresponding with his set teeth and -intent frowning eyes. Occasionally in his walk he stopped at his -writing-table, uncrossed his arms, took up a sheet of paper from the -number which lay scattered on the blotting-book, read it, laid it down -again, refolded his arms, and commenced his uneasy, ill-regulated -perambulation. - -If the reader, Asmodeus-like, had been permitted to glance over his -shoulder while he read these pages, he would have perceived how far -Mrs. Watts's estimate of the good-nature and affability of her -gentleman-like and most desirable lodger was to be relied upon. When -he had taken up the third, he glanced over it viciously, as though -uncertain whether he had made the terms of it bitter and imperative -enough. - -With the matter of these documents we have, however, no immediate -concern. He read and re-read them; and then, having lighted the gas in -his rooms, he sat down at the writing-table, collected the sheets, -which, as they were written on very thin paper, he was enabled to fold -into a small compass, and made a kind of précis of their contents in -cipher in a memorandum-book, which he locked away in one of the -drawers of the writing-table before he proceeded to place the address -on the envelope into which he had carefully packed the written sheets. -The envelope was of the buff colour and medium texture which we are -accustomed to associate with letters of business from America; but -contrary to usual custom, no part of the address was printed, nor was -there any printing upon the impressed wafer. - -His task completed, Mr. Dunn drew his chair closer to the fire and -took up a book, but he seemed unable to occupy his attention with its -contents, and after turning over a few pages in a desultory way, he -flung it down and went into his bedroom, from which he emerged in a -quarter of an hour, dressed for walking. Once more he crossed the -sitting-room, approached the fire, and leaning against the -mantelpiece, hat in hand, muttered, 'I cannot account for it, I cannot -account for the delay of those letters; it is either foul play or an -accident. If it is foul play, he is the most ungrateful scoundrel -unhanged; if it is an accident--ah, "if!" where am I?' - -With these words, uttered half aloud, and which seemed to have in them -some mysterious and weighty meaning, Mr. Dunn took up the letter which -he had just addressed, and went slowly down-stairs, carrying it in his -hand. - -The business of putting out of sight the luggage appertaining to the -new arrivals was not yet quite completed, and Mr. Dunn's eyes lighted -upon a very shiny black-leather valise, which was resting on one end -against the clock-case until such time as it should be convenient to -have it carried up to the new gentleman's room at the top of the -house; for his appellation, Mr. Clarke, had not yet come pat to the -tongues of Mrs. Watts and her domestics. - -There was nothing remarkable about the valise, except its newness and -its shininess, and painted in white upon the lid were the initials -'T.C.;' and as Mr. Dunn looked at it he thought idly, 'That hasn't -seen much travel, anyhow.' - -He laid his letter on the table in the hall, from which it would be -duly conveyed to the post at five o'clock; and also observing -carelessly that the door of the dining-room was ajar and that the gas -was alight within, an appearance from which he arrived at the -conclusion that the lady and gentleman whom he had seen getting out of -the carriage had made it all right with Mrs. Watts, and were actually -then in occupation, he opened the hall-door for himself, felt -mechanically in his pocket to make sure that he had his latch-key, in -case of a late return, and went out into the soft chill October -evening. - -The dining-room in the house which Mr. Dunn had just quitted was -looking as cheerful as a dining-room not used for any other purpose -than that of eating in ever can look. Mr. Clarke's sister, who had -informed Mrs. Watts that her own unassuming name was Jones, and who -had not needed to inform her that she was a widow, the fact being made -abundantly evident by her dress, had set to work with a quiet -notability to arrange it comfortably, and was now seated by the fire -with a piece of needlework in her hands, and looked as much at home as -if she had lived there all her life. - -There was only one sign of innovation, only one instance of discomfort -to be observed about the room: the door was open, and suffered to -remain so. Presently, Patty, the housemaid, came to speak to Mrs. -Jones, and announced that they were about to take the gentleman's -valise up-stairs. She also asked should she shut the door, having -found it open. - -'No, thank you,' was Mrs. Jones's reply; 'the room is rather warm.' - -'Very odd,' said Patty to herself, 'people are about doors. She likes -it open; but the fuss as some of 'em make if one doesn't shut it every -minute after the lock slips in one's hand, as would make one think one -would die at a breath from a key-hole! She doesn't look a fanciful -sort, nor a delicate sort neither, for that matter.' - -Presently Mrs. Jones heard Patty's by no means fairy footfall -redescending the lower flight of stairs, and she appeared at the -dining-room door, and asked the girl with a kindly civility, which had -already gone far to win her in several small matters since the arrival -of the new lodger--an event not quite two hours old--whether she was -going to the post shortly. - -Patty replied by a glance at the hall table. 'O dear, yes, ma'am,' -said she, 'I have got to go. There is that Mr. Dunn passes the pillar -two minutes after he goes out of the house, and would never have the -thought to post his letters himself, and I am as busy as I can be.' - -'Never mind, Patty,' replied Mrs. Jones gently, 'I have a letter or -two to write; they will be done in a few minutes, and if you will tell -me on which side I shall find the pillar-post, I will take them -myself. I shall be glad of a breath of fresh air, and I want to buy a -few trifles at that famous brush-shop round the corner. Mr. Clarke -showed it to me this morning when we were coming up here.' - -'O, thank you,' said Patty, 'there won't be any more except yours; for -Mr. Dunn has gone out, as I said just now, and he won't be in till -goodness knows when, so I know he's got no more to write.' - -'Then I will just put it in my bag now,' said Mrs. Jones, opening a -small leather reticule and placing the letter with ostentatious care -in it, and she immediately reëntered the dining-room and took out her -own writing materials. - -Mrs. Jones did not, however, seem to be in any hurry to get on with -her letters; she merely laid a half-written page of note-paper open on -the blotting-book, dipped her pen in the ink, and sat down before the -table, but made no attempt to write. In about five minutes she rang -the bell, which was answered by Patty. - -'I have been so stupid,' said Mrs. Jones, 'as to forget to buy some -sealing-wax, and I particularly want to seal the letter I am writing; -do you think your mistress can lend me a bit?' - -'Certainly, madam,' said Patty, and ran away with alacrity to fetch -the desired article, which she brought back. - -'Stay a moment,' said Mrs. Jones, 'I shall have done with it -presently, and I would rather return it to Mrs. Watts, if you please; -I shall get some when I am out.' She then proceeded to seal two -directed envelopes, which she stamped and placed in a bag beside Mr. -Dunn's letter. - -Having thus elaborately established the fact that she had been writing -letters and was about to post them, Mrs. Jones put on her bonnet and -cloak and went out, having received accurate instructions from Patty -as to where she could find the pillar-post, and how she was to turn in -order to reach the brush-shop. - -In about half an hour Mrs. Jones returned. In her hand was a small -paper parcel, and on her arm hung the leather reticule, with the -spring gaping open, so that as Patty opened the door to admit her she -could see that the bag was empty. During the time that had elapsed -between her coming in and the return of her brother, Mr. Clarke, Mrs. -Jones made no attempt to occupy herself in any way whatever. She sat -by the fire with an intent and brooding face, while the cloth was laid -for dinner and Patty was coming in and out of the room. She held a -newspaper between her face and the light, and the girl concluded that -Mrs. Jones was very tired, for she did not seem so friendly or -inclined to talk as she had done in the beginning. - -At six o'clock Mr. Clarke returned, and greeted his sister cheerfully, -with an inquiry as to how she found the rooms, and whether she was -getting things straight and comfortable. Mrs. Jones assured him that -everything was all right, and told Patty that dinner might be sent up -as soon as it was ready. - -At length the two were alone, and then Mrs. Jenkins told Thornton -Carey, with eager though subdued excitement, that she had secured -possession of a priceless document, which had, she believed, placed -their prey securely within their reach. - - -No time had been lost by Thornton Carey in carrying out the resolution -of noble and disinterested friendship at which he had arrived. The -details of what he was to do on reaching England had been fixed -between him and Bryan Duval and their professional advisers; in fact, -it was most important so to fix them, it was indispensable that he -should be guided to a certain extent by circumstances, and that he -should act with such caution and circumspection as to avoid the danger -of awakening any suspicion on the part of Warren at his presence in -England. - -When a full statement of the conclusion at which our friends had -arrived had been laid before Helen Griswold, she was entirely -overwhelmed by the conviction that they were right. That she had no -power to contend with the active and operative part of their decision, -that some one must undertake the unmasking of her deadly enemy, was -clear to her; but that Thornton Carey should be the person to do it -appeared a curious complication of the difficulties and distress of -her fate. To one man who had loved her, her love had brought death in -its most horrible and appalling form--that of base, cruel, cowardly -murder; to another man whom she had loved purely and nobly indeed, but -with a sentiment which was a growing force according as every day, -hour, made her more and more dependent upon him for support and -counsel and encouragement, her love was about to bring trouble and -danger. - -That there could be danger in his pursuit of Warren, Thornton Carey -utterly denied, but uselessly; nothing could remove from Helen's mind -the conviction of the power as well as the villany of this man. The -frightful skill, the deadly calculation, and the hideous success with -which he had carried out his machinations against her husband, had -impressed Helen with an almost preternatural dread of him. - -It was not that she believed he would escape, it was not that she for -a moment supposed Thornton Carey's designs would utterly fail or be -frustrated; but that she had a rooted conviction that terrible and -deadly danger would befall him in the carrying of them out. In the -extreme weakness and nervous excitement and spirit-broken timidity of -her grief she felt herself a doomed and a cursed person. - -'I bring evil,' she said, lamenting freely and with all her full heart -to her humble but true friend, between whom and herself there now -existed the bond of a common grief, 'and now he will be involved in my -doom!' But she made no remonstrance, she felt sure that so it must be. - -Thornton Carey had left New York without any formal leave-taking with -Helen, and it was only two days prior to his departure that Mrs. -Jenkins announced her intention of accompanying him. The idea had -occurred to her when Mrs. Griswold had first told her that Thornton -Carey was about to proceed to England on this mission of vengeance, in -which she and Mrs. Jenkins were equally concerned, for had not the -murderer of Alston Griswold been also the cause of Ephraim Jenkins's -death? - -The argument was not very sustainable, but it was very readily -accepted by the two women who were suffering together. If Warren's -conduct had not in reality caused his brother's death, his influence -had at least caused him to die under circumstances to which his wife -could never look back without horrible regret, and in her mind there -was a little longing that the punishment of this man's crimes should -come down upon him, and that she should have a share in the agency -which should bring it about. - -'Let me go with him,' she had said to Helen Griswold; 'I will travel -with him as his sister, and if I cannot be of any use to him, I will -at least be no drawback.' - -Helen had from the first encouraged the notion, simply from the sense -that to avoid utter loneliness for Carey in his dismal task would be a -comfort to her; but a few moments' reflection showed her the full -value of the suggestion, which was received with applause and -enthusiasm by Bryan Duval, to whom she at once confided it. - -Thornton Carey had never seen Trenton Warren; he was therefore not in -a position to identify him absolutely, how complete the chain of -evidence might otherwise be. Trenton Warren was also totally -unacquainted with the personal appearance of Thornton Carey, would not -recognise him if he saw him, and therefore would associate no -suspicion with him. Neither had Mrs. Jenkins seen her husband's -brother, who was, it must be remembered, in total ignorance of her -existence; but she had had so much evidence, so many proofs of the -strong resemblance which existed between Ephraim Jenkins and Trenton -Warren, proofs which had culminated in Miss Montressor's exclamation -upon seeing him, that Mrs. Jenkins felt convinced she would be able to -identify him for the information and satisfaction of Thornton Carey, -who might otherwise be entirely thrown off the scent by a change of -name. Supposing on his arrival in London he were to find out that Mr. -Dolby had ceased to be Mr. Dolby, he would be perfectly helpless in -the matter; but it was of no consequence to her by what name the -murderer should be passing among the unconscious crowd; the man whose -face and figure might be mistaken for those now mouldering in the -grave, the face and figure of him who had been so dear to her with all -his faults and shortcomings, could not escape her lynx-eyed -recognition and her determined pursuit. - - -Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins were not long in getting through the -ceremonial of dinner, after which, when their undisturbed solitude was -assured, they opened the letter which Mr. Dunn had with unsuspecting -reliance placed that day upon the table in the hall. - -The object of Thornton Carey's absence during the afternoon had been -to obtain an interview with some of the police authorities in London, -to whom he had made certain statements, which had resulted in a close -watch being set upon the movements of the occupant of Mrs. Watts's -incomparable drawing-room floor. - -It was not with any remarkable reluctance, or any sense that she was -doing what, under other circumstances, would have been a felony, that -Mrs. Jenkins had abstracted the letter upon which so much depended. In -her eyes, everything that could be done for the furtherance of the -project upon which she and her companion were bent would have been -strictly allowable, if not praiseworthy. Thornton Carey's notions were -a good deal more formal; but he had secured himself against risk in -this matter. The trap in which Mr. Dunn was to be caught when all -their preparations were so complete that it was impossible he should -set himself free from it by any exercise of teeth or claws, or their -equivalent in human cunning--when he would walk into it was not even -left to his discretion--we shall shortly see. - -For a moment, when Mrs. Jenkins put the letter into his hand and drew -her chair up to the table alongside of his, that they might peruse its -contents together, Thornton Carey experienced a passing pang of pity -for the villain who had wrought such wrongs and misery to others in -order that he might involve himself in the deepest and most -ignominious ruin. As he broke open the envelope, he said drearily: -'What a clever fool this man is; what invention and ingenuity he has -displayed in putting the rope round his neck!' Then he took up the -sheets one by one as their writer had put them in, smoothed them out -upon the blotting-pad as their writer had smoothed them out, and -proceeded to read their contents aloud for his companion, who was soon -sobbing bitterly, but in a guarded manner, over the terms of abuse and -tyranny lavished upon him whom they were never to wound. - -Mrs. Jenkins and Thornton Carey had met on that morning for the first -time, after a short absence on Thornton's part, whose purport will -shortly be explained; but they had known all about Mr. Dunn's -residence at Mrs. Watts's before he had left her for Liverpool. -Hitherto, not a hitch had come in their plan; they had carried out -their programme from step to step with exact punctuality and with -undeviating success; the finishing touch had been put to their -projects in a respect which they had been obliged to leave to the -mercy of chance. They had concluded to a nicety that Mr. Dunn would be -writing to Trenton Warren at Chicago, on this day preceding the -departure of the American mail; but what they had not calculated upon -was, that Mr. Dunn would entrust the posting of his letter to any -other hands. An unexpected piece of conviction had therefore come into -theirs, and Mrs. Jenkins, with unfeigned thankfulness, blessed -Providence for the fortunate accident. - -Thornton Carey hardly felt that he dared be so demonstrative; the -subject presented itself in a more complex aspect to his mind than to -that of his companion and coadjutor. - -The sheets of paper were still lying upon the table, and Thornton -Carey and Mrs. Jenkins were still discussing their contents and -exulting in the acceleration of their projects rendered possible by -this most fortunate turn of fate, when Mr. Dunn, returning to his -lodging at an unusually early hour, let himself in with his latch-key, -and went softly up-stairs, remarking to himself as he did so, that -'They seem to be quiet people who have taken the dining-room floor.' - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. -IDENTIFIED. - - -Early on the following day Thornton Carey paid another visit to the -police authorities, with whom he had already been in communication. As -much to their surprise as his own, and their mutual congratulation, he -was enabled to lay the case before them with all the detail, -explanation, and certainty acquired by the perusal of Mr. Dunn's -letter. With the exception of certain inquiries which he had made -during his brief absence at Liverpool and his interview with certain -magnates of Scotland-yard on the previous day, Thornton Carey had, so -far, worked up this case without professional assistance; but he now -asked for such assistance in the practical form of a warrant for the -arrest of Mr. Dunn. - -There was no difficulty about the granting of the warrant, but Carey -was advised that it would be much better to have it carried into -effect at Liverpool, the scene of the murder, and whither it was -evident Mr. Dunn was about to transfer himself within a very few days. -To this advice Thornton Carey deferred perhaps a little unwillingly; -he had a mortal dread that his prey might escape him, that the cunning -which had availed the murderer so far might be put forth in a final -effort, which would elude all their vigilance. But a little -professional reasoning tranquillised his mind on this subject. It -would be totally impossible for Mr. Dunn to escape the vigilance of -the police at the port of Liverpool; and if he should leave his -present lodgings without the knowledge of Thornton Carey and Mrs. -Jenkins, the fault would be theirs. The gaoler of the prison to which -he would be inevitably transferred before long would not have him in -surer watch and ward than the quiet-looking, business-like, and -unsuspicious lady and gentleman occupying the dining-room floor. With -this assurance, and instructions that he was to communicate with a -certain person to whom he was introduced, and who was desired to hold -himself at the applicant's disposal, Thornton Carey returned home just -in time to see Mr. Dunn, in his usual neat attire and with his -accustomed deliberation of step, turn into Piccadilly with the air of -a gentleman who had nothing whatever on his mind but the procuring of -air and exercise. - -Two days, which both Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins found exceedingly -tedious and hard to dispose of, elapsed, and on the morning of the -third, Mrs. Watts, who had made great friends with her lady lodger of -the dining-room floor, came to inform her that she was really about to -lose Mr. Dunn at last. - -Yes, it was just like her luck. He was going for good, and the -quietest and most accommodating of lodgers would be known no more in -Queen-street, Mayfair. - -Indeed, Mrs. Jenkins sympathised. It was rather sudden, wasn't it? Had -Mr. Dunn had any bad news from home, or had he completed all his -business in London? - -That Mrs. Watts could not tell her. He had seemed exceedingly put out -over some American papers that had come in a great batch from -somewheres in the City, and he had told her that he was very much -disappointed that his employers did not require him to remain for -another year in England. Mrs. Watts did not know much of Americans, -but she had noticed that Mr. Dunn was the only one who had ever -acknowledged that he liked England better than his own country; if it -was his own country, which she could not say; perhaps he had gone out -there young. - -But Mrs. Jenkins was obliged to ask Mrs. Watts to excuse her for -cutting short their interview--on that morning her brother was going -out on business, and she must see him before he left the house. After -he had gone she would return and resume their talk; so in the fewest -possible words Thornton Carey was rapidly informed that the time had -come. Mr. Dunn was going to Liverpool by the twelve-o'clock train. - -Thornton Carey needed no details; he had merely to transmit that fact -to the person with whom he had been put in communication on the -previous day. - -At noon that day the train for Liverpool started with its accustomed -punctuality, and without the slightest indication that it conveyed any -passenger more interesting or important than its ordinary freight. - -Mr. Dunn occupied a corner-seat in a first-class carriage, and was -profoundly unconscious of the presence in the next compartment of the -remarkably quiet lady and gentleman who had been of late his fellow -lodgers. He was looking ill and much preoccupied; he duly wrapped -himself up, settled himself in his seat, and strewed the adjoining -division with miscellaneous literature, but it lay there untouched, -and Mr. Dunn's fidgetiness was such that it might not unreasonably -have provoked the remonstrances of the stout elderly gentleman, with -light fluffy whiskers and remarkably unexpressive eyes, who sat -opposite to him, and read newspapers one after another, with -engrossing interest and undeviating steadiness, for fully two-thirds -of the journey. - -But the stout gentleman took absolutely no notice whatever of his -companion's movements, which alternated between excessive -restlessness, in which he would throw off his wraps, pull the window -up and down, and gape audibly, and extreme moody depression, in which -he sat back, his chin dropped upon his breast, and his eyes fixed upon -the flying landscape, and evidently totally unconscious of the objects -passing before them. - -It was remarkable that, though the train was rather crowded, Mr. Dunn -and the elderly gentleman, with so insatiable an appetite for details, -had this particular first-class compartment to themselves all the way, -with the trifling exception hereafter to be noted. There might almost -have been an understanding between the railway people and the elderly -gentleman--perhaps there was, perhaps also he saw and remarked Mr. -Dunn's moves more clearly than he appeared to see and remark them; for -when Mr. Dunn (they were then three-quarters of an hour from -Liverpool) took a crumpled packet of letters out of his pocket, though -the elderly gentleman interposed a newspaper directly between his own -face and that of Mr. Dunn's, he slid his hand gently into the pocket -of his heavy overcoat, and at the same moment handled something -metallic which lay within it. - -Mr. Dunn pored over these letters with an absorbed attention, which -could not have been greater had he been in absolute solitude. He -compared their dates, he counted them, he carefully rearranged them, -each in its respective former position in the packet, and when he had -read and re-read them, he tied them up again and replaced them in an -inner pocket. - -During all this time his companion kept his hand upon the something -metallic in the pocket of his rough greatcoat, and when Mr. Dunn, -apparently yielding to a momentary temptation to tear up the letters -and strew them by the roadside, made a slight motion towards letting -down the window next him, he almost instantly withdrew his hand, the -barrier of the newspaper was withdrawn for a second, and the usually -inexpressive face of the elderly gentleman was set in a very stern -purpose indeed. - -Nothing came, however, of the temptation. Mr. Dunn replaced the -letters; his companion reinterposed the barrier; and the train glided -smoothly on but another quarter of an hour, during which Mr. Dunn -subsided from his restless into his depressed alternative, and -occasionally took out a photographic likeness of a woman, at which he -gazed moodily. - -Just as the train was running into Lime-street station its speed -slackened, it stopped in an instant, and a man stepped with wonderful -swiftness into the compartment hitherto occupied only by Mr. Dunn and -the persistent reader. - -Mr. Dunn slipped the photograph at which he was looking into his -breast-pocket, and glanced round surprised, but the elderly gentleman, -with a satisfied wink at the new arrival, stuffed his newspaper under -the back of the cushion, and bending over and approaching Mr. Dunn, -laid his hand on his shoulder. - -Mr. Dunn started up, or rather attempted to do so, but found himself -held firmly in his seat by a grasp apparently gentle, but wholly -irresistible, while his companion informed him, in the briefest of -phrases, that he was arrested on the charge of murder, and had better -not say anything lest it should be used to his disadvantage. Pale, -speechless, and bewildered, the trapped criminal stared at the -police-officer, who made a sign to his assistant, who, with -businesslike imperturbability and the deftness of long practice, -slipped a pair of handcuffs on Mr. Dunn's wrists. - -In another minute the train had stopped, and the police-officer, -considerately arranging Mr. Dunn's wraps so as to disguise the fact -that he was a prisoner, stepped out with his charge upon the platform, -closely followed by his assistant. - -Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins retained their seats until the three, -whose movements they were watching, had passed the door of the -compartment in which they were. Then they immediately left the -carriage and followed. - -Among the persons assembled on the arrival platform at Lime-street was -a respectable-looking woman, who carried a large basket, with that -air of inseparability habitual to females of her class. She was -probably there by appointment with somebody, for she had taken her -seat on a bench and waited with the inevitable basket on her knees for -the arrival of the train. - -As Mr. Dunn passed down the platform in the custody of his two -travelling companions, the elderly gentleman slackened his pace for a -moment when they came alongside the bench where this woman sat, and -laid his hand, as if accidentally and in passing, upon the cover of -her basket. She gave him a quick look; but on the prisoner she -conferred a prolonged stare, of which, however, the wretched man was -wholly unconscious. A few persons only came between Mr. Dunn and his -companions and Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins, who walked up to the -woman arm-in-arm. Thornton Carey addressed her: - -'Have you seen him?' - -'I have, sir.' - -'Is it he?' - -'It is, sir; I could swear to the Methodist preacher that talked to -the poor gentleman and to me in the Birkenhead ferry anywhere in the -world!' - - -They took him to the police-office. He went quietly, in absolute -silence, only looking from time to time at the men who walked one on -each side of him with a confused and helpless stare. - -Thornton Carey, Mrs. Jenkins, and the woman, whose evidence Thornton -Carey had skilfully hunted up during his short stay in Liverpool, -exercising the ingenuity which subsequently won him many warm -congratulations from Mr. Dunn's travelling companion, and whose -evidence was the last link in the chain of identification which -convicted Mr. Dunn of the crime committed by Trenton Warren, had -reached the police-court some minutes in advance. The prisoner -recognised his inoffensive fellow lodgers of the dining-room floor in -Queen-street, Mayfair, with an irrepressible start, and spoke for the -first time. 'Who are they?' he asked. - -Thornton Carey replied: 'I am Thornton Carey, whose benefactor Mr. -Griswold was; and this woman,' drawing forward Mrs. Jenkins, 'is your -brother's widow--your brother whose blood is on your head. We -represent your victims!' - - -The usual formalities were quickly accomplished; and when the prisoner -was searched, it appeared that he would have done wisely had he -yielded to that momentary temptation which had moved him to tear the -letters which he had read in the train and to scatter them in -fragments from the carriage window; for the letters in question were -those written by Helen Griswold to her husband, and the photograph was -that which the murdered man had carried in his pocket-book, and the -murderer had robbed him of both. - -'On the whole,' as Mr. Dunn's travelling companion remarked to -Thornton Carey, as they walked away from the police-court together, -'it isn't often one has the handling of a case that fits together so -satisfactorily; in this there isn't a loop-hole.' - - -EPILOGUE - - -During the weeks, now numbering months, of their intimate association, -a strong mutual regard had sprung up between Thornton Carey and Mrs. -Jenkins. The bereaved woman's character had a great attraction for -Thornton, who thoroughly appreciated her sincerity, disinterestedness, -and depth of feeling. The earnestness and vehemence of Mrs. Jenkins's -grief for the loss of a husband who perhaps had not precisely merited -her love or her sorrow had struck the young man by its pure -womanliness, and her sound practical common sense had been of immense -assistance to him in every detail of his task. Thus the relation -between the two confederates, which, owing to the discrepancy between -their respective social stations, might have been attended by a -certain awkwardness and reserve, had, on the contrary, been frank and -pleasant from the first, and had very soon merged into genuine -unreserved confidence and intimacy. - -Thornton Carey, though perhaps more deeply a student of books, was -also an observer of human nature, and in his long talks with Mrs. -Jenkins, when it was a relief for them both to escape from the great -purpose and topic of their lives into byways of conversation, would -question Mrs. Jenkins concerning her own history, and the scenes she -had witnessed, the experiences she had undergone as the wife of a man -whose life had been so shifting and shifty, so disreputable and -sometimes hard, in that wonderful microcosm, the city of New York. - -Mrs. Jenkins had no reserve with Thornton Carey, towards whom she -gradually assumed quite a motherly tone, and she answered his -questions readily, and drew for him the kind of pictures which he -wished to see with his mind's eye with an untutored reality and a -quaint force that he found most interesting. But on no topic was it so -pleasant to him to hear Mrs. Jenkins discourse as on that of Helen -Griswold, and on none was she more disposed to gratify him to the -full. There was a deep vein of enthusiasm in Mrs. Jenkins, and the -gentle, gracious, thorough lady into whose house she had gone with her -heart bleeding its two sorest wounds--the death of her child and -parting with her husband--had roused it. And then had come the -remarkable combination of circumstances which had bound her life up in -the same chapter of accidents with Mrs. Griswold's. - -She would tell Thornton Carey over and over again innumerable small -particulars of her first days in Helen's house, of her first -impressions, and of the generous kindliness with which Helen had -turned her first feeling of loneliness and dependence into one which -she had never thought to experience again--the tranquil happiness of -home. She would tell of Helen's quiet regret for her husband's -absence, of her rational life, her charities, her unselfishness, her -love and pride for the child, until any listener less deeply -interested than Thornton must have wearied of the subject. But he -never wearied of it, and in return he would tell Mrs. Jenkins tales of -Helen's childhood and his own, reproducing the old familiar scenes -with a skill and vividness at which the simple woman, who, though -uneducated, had the intuitive perception of good taste, wondered. -Listening to Thornton's talk, she thought, was like reading a pleasant -book, or looking at pictures. And so it came to Mrs. Jenkins's mind -one day, that ever since that childish time, which had passed so -happily amid the rural scenes and surroundings of Holland Mills, -Thornton Carey had had but one love in his life--the love of -Helen--and that it had grown with his growth, and strengthened with -his strength. When this belief took possession of her, she went to -work in her own clever yet simple way to verify it, by asking him in -her turn about his life since the breaking up of the old childish -associations, about his friends and his pursuits, and through all the -narrative which she thus elicited she could trace no other influence -than that of Helen. He had lived the life of a recluse and a student, -not gloomy or morose indeed, but sufficing to himself; and desiring -nothing beyond, in all the hours that were outside his work. He spoke -of some men-friends, and they were chiefly men older than himself, but -no woman's name ever turned up in his account of his life. When he -mentioned Mr. Griswold, it was always vaguely, though with gratitude, -but it was evident he had not known very much of him; and the awful -termination of his life, the wonderful train of circumstances which -had turned the _protégé_ into the avenger, made it difficult for -Thornton to speak of him so freely as of other subjects. - -Long before their task was accomplished Mrs. Jenkins believed herself -to be in possession of the secret history of two hearts, with this -great difference between them--that Thornton Carey knew and -acknowledged to himself that he loved Helen Griswold, that he had -loved her, and no other, all his life, but that Helen entertained no -suspicion either of his feelings or her own. Mrs. Jenkins could not -have analysed her conviction that Helen, excellent and devoted wife -that she was, and true as was the affection with which she regarded -her husband, had not been _in love_ with him, but it was clear and -strong, the growth of constant observation of innumerable trifles, -those small but significant symptoms which only a woman notices and -interprets aright. Then Mrs. Jenkins, who, for all her inferiority to -Helen in the social scale, had some strong points of resemblance to -her, and was an instance of the absolute level on which classes stand -when the only ruling feeling of the human heart is in question, asked -herself whether it was that Helen had never been in love with any one, -or whether it was that she was in love with some one else. The latter -question did not present itself for a moment to the mind of Mrs. -Jenkins in a light unfavourable or derogatory to Helen; she knew that, -if such were indeed the case, Helen was entirely guiltless. Now the -whole story made itself clear to the perception of Mrs. Jenkins, and -she knew that the unconscious presence of an influence which had -existed since her childhood, and been stronger than any which had -since come into her life, had closed Helen's heart against every -whisper of passion for the man she had married and, in one sense, -loved. - -With this discovery there had come to Mrs. Jenkins a still deeper pity -and regard for the young widow, so awfully bereaved, for there had -come a clearer comprehension of how admirably she had fulfilled her -duty as a wife. Thus it happened that the secret of both these hearts, -which had never been mutually disclosed, had been revealed -unconsciously by each to this humble friend; and in all the talks -which they had together, Mrs. Jenkins had had floating before her -fancy a vision of the future, in which the beautiful old story of the -childhood of these two should be taken up again and brought to its -perfection after such a trial as happily comes but rarely into human -lives. She was far too discreet to breathe a hint of her discovery or -her hope to Thornton Carey; and she promised herself that she would -exercise an equal discretion when she should have returned to New -York, and resumed her position in Mrs. Griswold's house. - -It had been agreed that Mrs. Jenkins was to return before she and -Thornton Carey started on their journey to England. She had no friends -in England that her friends in America knew of, and she felt in her -inmost heart that the relations between herself and her sister would -not be sufficiently satisfactory to compensate for an entire -separation from Helen and her child. Besides, there was a very good -chance that she night see as much of her sister by residing in New -York as she should see of her if she lived in London; for Miss -Montressor's success was so marked, that there was a brisk competition -among American managers for the promise of her services during a long -series of seasons. On the whole New York had become much more like -home to Mrs. Jenkins than England was, though she felt that it would -be long before the word would seem to have any meaning for her in a -world where her Ephraim was not. With Helen Griswold she would have -peace, respectability, and a strong interest in her surroundings; -while to Helen, her presence must always be beneficial, to an extent -which would far out-measure the pain of their respective and common -associations. - -When the task which they had come to fulfil was finished; when the -sentence of a righteous doom had been passed upon one of the most -cruel and treacherous murderers who had ever incurred the curse -pronounced against the shedder of man's blood; and the time fixed for -Mrs. Jenkins's departure drew near (she wished to leave England before -the execution of Trenton Warren), she discovered that Thornton Carey -was hesitating about his own return to America. It had never been -intended that he should accompany her; he meant to be in Liverpool -when the dread penalty of his crime should be inflicted on Helen's -enemy; but she had taken it for granted he would not make much further -delay, and was quite unprepared for the announcement which he made to -her the day before the sailing of the mail steamer in which a passage -had been taken for her. He came round to see her at the Railway Hotel -(he was at the Adelphi) late in the evening, and after talking -cheerily to her about the voyage back, he said: - -'I hope you will drop talking of all this awful affair to poor Mrs. -Griswold as soon as you can reasonably persuade her to let it rest. It -is quite useless to keep up the misery and excitement of it any longer -than they must necessarily last; and that will be over when this -wretched man shall have been sent to his account. Then she had better -be led to dwell on the happier features of the past, and to let its -miserable ending die down into oblivion. You will be the best person -to lead her mind into that channel, and I, and all her friends, will -trust you to do it.' - -'But, Mr. Carey, you will have a great deal more influence than I -shall. Of course, I must let her talk at first as much as she likes; -but if she will be kept from dwelling on the past by what I can do, -she will look more to you than to any of her friends for such things -as can cheer her up, and do her real good.' - -Thornton Carey smiled rather sadly. - -'She will not have me to cheer her up for many a long day,' he said. - -'Why, whatever do you mean?' asked Mrs. Jenkins in unfeigned -amazement; 'ain't you coming very soon--as soon as--' - -Her face fell, and she turned her eyes away. The subject was a -terrible one, and they had avoided reference to it by common consent. - -'No, my dear friend, I am not. I have been thinking it all over since -I have been here, and I have come to the conclusion that I had better -not go back just yet. I have made some friends here quite -unexpectedly. Mr. Whitbread, the magistrate's brother, among others, -has been kind enough to form a good opinion of me, and he has just -been returned for B--. I dined with him last evening, and he talked to -me a good deal about myself; asked about my post at New Orleans, -whether it was a permanent one, and so on. I told him exactly how the -matter stood, and that poor Mr. Griswold had been negotiating a better -post for me, but one which would not be likely to be vacant for at -least twelve months from the present time. Then Mr. Whitbread offered -to engage me as his private secretary for that time certain. He -represents an important constituency, and will be a very active member -of the House of Commons. He is an advanced Liberal, and there would be -no better opportunity for me to learn the routine of public business -than in his employment. So I have accepted the offer, and I shall be -in England at least one year.' - -'I do not regret it, sir, for your sake,' replied Mrs. Jenkins, -'though I doubt it will come very hard on Mrs. Griswold. But, then, -she is one who does not think of herself, and if it's good for you, -she will be content.' - -Thornton Carey looked at her inquiringly, and a sudden deep flush -suffused his face. Mrs. Jenkins saw the sudden flush, and perfectly -understood its origin, but she made no sign, and continued: - -'Have you written to her, Mr. Carey, or am I to take her the news? It -will be a surprise to Mr. Duval, too, though he will be very glad to -find you here when he comes back. Very likely he'll be writing a play -about it, and be glad of your help.' - -'Writing a play, you dear droll woman, half a century behind the speed -of the age! I would lay a stout wager the play is ready for -rehearsal!' - - -Once more the scene of this story is by the seaboard. The mail steamer -for New York is just about to sail, and the landing-stage is as usual -crowded by sightseers anxious to witness its departure. It is a fine, -cold, wintry day, and the sky is bright, the wind fair. Unrecognised, -unnoticed by the crowd, who have no notion that the woman in widow's -weeds, and the handsome young man who takes her on board the tender so -carefully, were directly concerned in the great criminal trial which -has been the central object of interest in Liverpool, Mrs. Jenkins and -Thornton Carey pass the last few minutes of their companionship -together. - -Mrs. Jenkins is quite composed when she goes on board the Cuba, but -she has been crying a good deal in the early hours of morning. She -feels, now that the parting has come, how much Thornton Carey has -cheered up and helped her through the anguish of her own bereavement; -and now that all the excitement is over, her womanly heart has a touch -of pity in it for the doomed wretch they have so effectually punished. -But that is a weakness which she dares not betray to Thornton Carey, -and which indeed she very soon gets over. - -Thornton has seen to all the comforts of her state room--for Mrs. -Jenkins is travelling 'like a lady,' and is not in the least likely to -disgrace the character, as she is reticent and unassuming always--and -has added to them many a little 'surprise,' which will bring tears of -gladness to her eyes when she shall find them out; and they are now -standing side by side in the saloon, waiting, with the dreary mingling -of dread and impatience which characterises all scenes of parting, for -the signal 'for shore.' - -'What shall I say for you to Mrs. Griswold?' she asks, with her hand -in his. - -'What shall you say? Have I not given you a thousand messages to Mrs. -Griswold?' - -'You have,' she answered, and yet she looked at him with such a look -as might have shone in his mother's eyes, 'and I will not ask you for -another. But I will say this to you as my parting words--and you must -forgive me, Mr. Carey, and think me not too bold--see your year out in -England, and then come home _for your reward!_' - -She pressed his hand, close, close, and clung to him, as a mother -might cling to a son, for a minute or two, and he spoke no word, but -stooped over her, and kissed her on the forehead; and then the signal -was given 'for shore,' and they parted. - - --------------------- - - -A NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. - -The story which I have here narrated is not original. I hasten to avow -it, lest I should be detected, and obliged to confess the fact. It is -one of those truths which look like fiction, only because they are so -truly true. I am indebted for the 'heads' from which I have -constructed it to Thornton S. Carey, the well-known merchant and -_millionnaire_ of New York, U.S.A., whose acquaintance, together with -his charming wife, formerly Mrs. Helen Griswold, and his if possible -more charming stepdaughter, I had the privilege of forming, last fall, -at Saratoga Springs. - - - - -THE END. - - - - -LONDON: -ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3), by Edmund Yates - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IMPENDING SWORD (VOL. 3 OF 3) *** - -***** This file should be named 62298-8.txt or 62298-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/2/9/62298/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/62298-8.zip b/old/62298-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 84e8890..0000000 --- a/old/62298-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62298-h.zip b/old/62298-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1230a86..0000000 --- a/old/62298-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62298-h/62298-h.htm b/old/62298-h/62298-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 75b71f6..0000000 --- a/old/62298-h/62298-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5137 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> -<html> -<head> -<title>Te Impending Sword. Vol. III.</title> -<meta name="Subtitle" content="A Novel."> -<meta name="Author" content="Edmund Yates"> -<meta name="Publisher" content="TInsley Brothrs"> -<meta name="Date" content="1874"> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> -<style type="text/css"> -body {margin-left:10%; - margin-right:10%; background-color:#FFFFFF;} -p {text-indent:1em; text-align: left;} - - -p.right {text-align:right; margin-right:20%;} -p.center {text-align: center;} -p.continue {text-indent: 0in; margin-top:9pt;} - -h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 {text-align: center;} - -span.sc {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:110%;} - -hr.W10 {width:10%; color:black; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt} -hr.W20 {width:20%; color:black; margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt} -hr.W50 {width:50%; color:black;} -hr.W90 {width:90%; color:black;} - -p.hang1 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-3em;} - -</style> -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3), by Edmund Yates - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3) - A Novel - -Author: Edmund Yates - -Release Date: June 1, 2020 [EBook #62298] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IMPENDING SWORD (VOL. 3 OF 3) *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - - - - - -</pre> - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="hang1">Transcriber's Note: -1. Page scan source: -http://www.archive.org/details/impendingswordno02yate -(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE IMPENDING SWORD.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>LONDON:<br> -ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>THE</h5> -<h4>IMPENDING SWORD.</h4> -<br> -<h5>A Novel.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>BY</h5> -<h4>EDMUND YATES,</h4> -<h5>AUTHOR OF 'BLACK SHEEP,' 'THE ROCK AHEAD,' 'THE YELLOW FLAG,'<br> -ETC. ETC.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p style="margin-left:15%; font-size: smaller; text-indent:-.5em">'Put we our quarrel to the will of Heaven,<br> -Who, when He sees the hours ripe on earth<br> -Will rain hot vengeance on the offenders' heads.'</p> -<p style="text-indent:60%">SHAKESPEARE.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>IN THREE VOLUMES.</h5> -<h5>VOL. III.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>LONDON:<br> -TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8 CATHERINE ST. STRAND.<br> -1874.</h5> - -<h5>[<i>The right of translation, dramatic adaptation, and reproduction is -reserved</i>.]</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<table cellpadding="10" style="width:90%; margin-left:5%; font-weight:bold"> -<colgroup> -<col style="width:10%; vertical-align:top; text-align:right"> -<col style="width:90%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left"> -</colgroup> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"> -<h3>CONTENTS OF VOL. III.</h3> -<h4>Book the Third.</h4> -<h4>THE DISCOVERY.</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>CHAP.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_01" href="#div3_01">I.</a></td> -<td>CONSULTATION.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_02" href="#div3_02">II.</a></td> -<td>RECOGNISED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_03" href="#div3_03">III.</a></td> -<td>A WAY OF ESCAPE.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_04" href="#div3_04">IV.</a></td> -<td>ESCAPED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_05" href="#div3_05">V.</a></td> -<td>A CLUE.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_06" href="#div3_06">VI.</a></td> -<td>HARKING BACK.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_07" href="#div3_07">VII.</a></td> -<td>MR. DUNN.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div3Ref_08" href="#div3_08">VIII.</a></td> -<td>IDENTIFIED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td> </td> -<td><a name="div3Ref_EPILOGUE" href="#div3_EPILOGUE">EPILOGUE.</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td> </td> -<td><a name="div3Ref_NOTE" href="#div3_NOTE">A NOTE BY THE AUTHOR.</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<<br> -<h3>Book the Second.</h3> -<h4>THE CRIME.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_01" href="#div3Ref_01">CHAPTER I.</a></h4> -<h5>CONSULTATION.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Thornton Carey stood as one transfixed; in all his recollection of -Helen he had never seen her like this before--wonderfully pretty, but -deadly white, and almost rigid.</p> - -<p>'You wish to see me,' she said, advancing towards him, and placing her -cold hand in his; 'you have bad tidings, and you hesitate to tell me; -you need not be afraid--directly your arrival was announced I had a -presentiment.'</p> - -<p>'I have, indeed, something very serious to say to you,' said Thornton -Carey, motioning her to a seat, 'and you judge me truly when you say -that I find it difficult to break it to you.'</p> - -<p>'What you have to tell me concerns Alston--concerns my husband,' said -Helen, with unnatural calmness; 'don't fear to speak it at once--he -is--is dead!'</p> - -<p>'Helen,' said Thornton Carey, laying his hand softly on hers, 'I have -known you from your earliest youth, and no brother could have a deeper -interest in or affection for you than I have. It is my lot to bring -you the news of the most serious trial that you could be put to, and I -must not shrink from the obligation. So long as there was any hope, I -kept silence myself; and enjoined it on others. Now there is none, and -in mercy to you, as well as in justice to myself, I must speak. Summon -your womanly fortitude to your aid, my poor child, for you will need -it all. Helen--your husband is dead!'</p> - -<p>She sunk back in her chair, closing her eyes, and pressing her hands -before her face. From time to time a strong shiver shook her entire -frame, and her interlaced fingers were convulsively twisted together. -Once or twice, too, she uttered a deep groan, but there were no tears, -nor any of the usual signs of grief.</p> - -<p>After a few moments, still lying back, and with her face still covered -by her hands, she asked, in a voice such as Thornton Carey had never -heard from her before--dull, toneless, and metallic: 'Did he die in -England?'</p> - -<p>'He did,' replied Carey. 'Ah, Helen, I have not told you all even -yet--you have much to hear and bear.'</p> - -<p>'You can proceed,' she said. 'You see that I am perfectly quiet.'</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey glanced at her uneasily; his good sense told him that -this forced calmness was unnatural, and might be dangerous, and yet, -now that he had once entered upon his mission, he could not hesitate -to go through with it.</p> - -<p>'There is reason to believe,' he said, half averting his head, for, -though her eyes were covered by her hands, he felt as though her gaze -was directed towards him, 'there is reason to believe that poor -Griswold was the victim of foul play--that he met his death -unfairly--' he saw that she failed to perceive his meaning, and added -slowly--'that he was murdered!'</p> - -<p>'O my God!' she cried; and with a piercing shriek she threw herself -forward on the table, burying her head in her arms, which were -enshrouded in her loose hair.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey sprang to his feet, and hastened to fetch her some -iced-water from the pitcher which stood on the buffet. When he -returned with the tumbler, she was sobbing fearfully, and rocking -herself to and fro, moaning dismally the while.</p> - -<p>'O, my Alston, my darling, my own husband--O, why did you leave me? -Why did you not listen to me when I implored you not to go this fatal -journey?'</p> - -<p>'Helen,' said Thornton Carey, touching her lightly on the shoulder, -'where is the courage you promised to show me?'</p> - -<p>'O, to think that he is dead! that I shall never see him again! O, my -own darling, my own Alston--to think that he has been killed!'</p> - -<p>'You are right to mourn him,' said Carey gently, 'for he was the best, -the kindest, the most generous of men.'</p> - -<p>'O, who could speak of that so well as I could?' murmured Helen, her -face still covered. 'Did he not give me everything I wanted? Was it not -for my sake that he took this journey in which he lost his life?'</p> - -<p>'Recollect then, Helen, that, however much you may deplore his loss, -there is yet another duty owing to his memory. If my suspicions are -correct, he was treacherously and basely murdered, and our first duty -is to avenge his death, and bring the murderer to justice.'</p> - -<p>He had scarcely uttered the words before she raised her head and -confronted him, with difficulty recognisable as the woman who, pale -and shrinking, had so recently entered the boudoir; her eyes blazed -with a fierce, lurid light, her cheeks flushed and tear-blurred, and -her lips tightly set together.</p> - -<p>'You are right, Thornton Carey,' she said very quietly; 'that is, of -course, the first thing to be done. Who are these wretches? Are they -known?'</p> - -<p>'Not yet,' said Carey; 'but I hope they will be before long. I will -leave you now; some other day--to-morrow, perhaps--when you are more -calm, I will tell you the particulars of this dreadful affair, and we -will consult as to what is to be done.'</p> - -<p>'To-morrow,' she repeated; 'why not now? Why lose one moment? Is -calmness required when the means of punishing my Alston's murderer is -in question? For God's sake, talk to me, Thornton Carey, and give me -something to employ my mind, for when I think of his loss and my own -desolate position, I feel as if I should go mad.'</p> - -<p>An instant's rapid reflection convinced Carey that to do as she -requested would be the best means of serving her--the best chance of -staving off that access of grief which he had so much dreaded.</p> - -<p>'I will do what you wish, Helen,' he said, after a pause, 'if you will -promise me to keep guard over yourself, and to strive hard against -being betrayed into any exhibition of feeling; this will be the more -necessary as I shall have to bring two strangers to you, people who -made the acquaintance of our poor Alston in England, and who were the -first to form the idea that he was indeed the murdered man.'</p> - -<p>'To form the idea!' cried Helen. 'Is it not certain--is there any -possible doubt?'</p> - -<p>'None,' said Carey gently, but decisively. 'From all that I can make -out, and you will understand that I have done my best to sift the -matter thoroughly, I can have no doubt that the American gentleman -passing under the name of Foster, whose murder in Liverpool is now -reported in the newspapers, was your husband, and my poor friend, -Alston Griswold.'</p> - -<p>'Passing under the name of Foster!' repeated Helen. 'Alston would never -have descended to such duplicity. What reason could he have,' she -added, looking up, 'for concealing his real name?'</p> - -<p>'That is more than I can say,' cried Carey; 'but whether he did or not -you ought to be able to tell at once. How were your letters to him -addressed?'</p> - -<p>Helen's face fell, and her eyes were downcast; she did not like such -an intimate friend even as Thornton Carey to know that her husband had -not trusted her with his address. There was, however, no help for it, -so she said:</p> - -<p>'I did not write direct to Alston in England--my letters have been -sent under cover to Mr. Warren, and have been forwarded by him.'</p> - -<p>Carey was silent for a moment. Then he said:</p> - -<p>'That intelligence goes far to confirm my worst fears. If Alston had -not been under an assumed name, you would have written to him direct; -that he had an assumed name, which must have been known to Warren, -proves that the disguise must have been for business purposes. It is -as I thought at first,' he said, lifting up his hands; 'that his -business operations might not be known he took the name of Foster; by -some one interested in thwarting those business operations he has been -killed.'</p> - -<p>Helen bowed her head.</p> - -<p>'All things seem to point to that, I confess,' she said; 'but Foster -is not an uncommon American name--there are hundreds and thousands of -Americans now in England on business. The circumstance of Alston -having thought fit to conceal his identity is merely a coincidence, -and if no personal description of the murdered man has arrived, you -may yet be wrong.'</p> - -<p>'Would to God I could think so,' said Thornton Carey; 'but after you -have heard the story of the two persons from England whom I spoke of, -I am afraid even you will have to surrender that hope. I have brought -them with me--will you see them?'</p> - -<p>'No,' she said quickly, 'I cannot, not to-day, not for some time. You -surely cannot consider it necessary?'</p> - -<p>'Not if the matter is to be dropped,' he replied quietly; 'but if any -action is to be taken upon it, if finding we are right in our surmise, -we are at once to take steps to discover and pursue the perpetrators -of this dreadful act, then I think no time should be lost in our -availing ourselves of all the aid and assistance we can command.'</p> - -<p>'That has decided me,' said Helen. 'I will see them at once. Who are -they?'</p> - -<p>'I think you have seen them,' said Thornton Carey; 'at all events -their names are well known to you--they are Mr. Bryan Duval and Miss -Clara Montressor.'</p> - -<p>'The actors?' cried Helen.</p> - -<p>'Exactly,' said Thornton Carey. 'You recollect poor Alston's love for -the drama and its professors, and how he used to declare that the -theatre was the only place in which he could forget the cares and -troubles of business. He seems to have carried this idea over to -England with him, and to have made the acquaintance of and become -tolerably intimate with this lady and gentleman. It was after -accompanying them to Liverpool, and seeing them start on their journey -here, that the fatal attack was made upon him. They are, as I need -scarcely tell you, highly-intelligent people, and with the kindliest -feelings towards you; and as, from the manner in which they were mixed -up with poor Griswold in England, their information and advice is -highly valuable, I would you should see them at once.'</p> - -<p>'I will do so,' said Helen; 'I will come down with you at once to the -parlour, where I suppose they are.'</p> - -<p>She went down-stairs, only pausing for an instant and trembling -violently as she passed the door of the library, when the remembrance -flashed across her of her interview with Alston on the night of their -ball, and of the manner in which, acting under the presentiment which -would seem to have been carried out, she had implored him to give up -the idea of this journey. Then, summoning all her courage to her aid, -she opened the door, and followed by Thornton Carey, entered the -parlour.</p> - -<p>A lady, who was turning over the leaves of a photographic album, and a -gentleman, who seemed to be reading some memoranda in a note-book, -rose at their entrance. She bowed as Thornton Carey muttered hastily -some formal words of introduction, and looked at them keenly. Months -afterwards Helen remembered that, notwithstanding the acuteness of the -mental agonies she was suffering, she could not help remarking the -difference between the quietly-dressed, mild-mannered lady who sat -before her and the shrieking heroine of the stage, between the sharp, -shrewd, worldly-wise Bryan Duval and the steeple-hatted, -velvet-cloaked utterer of romantic rhapsodies.</p> - -<p>Bryan Duval was the first to speak: 'Your friend Mr. Carey has an -idea, Mrs. Griswold, that we may be able to be of some service to you -by giving information which, combined with such knowledge as you -yourself possess, may tend to elucidate the causes which prompted this -dreadful deed, and enable you to recognise its perpetrator. I need -scarcely assure you of our warm sympathy, or the earnest desire on our -part to help you.'</p> - -<p>Helen bowed, and steadying herself by a great mental effort, said: 'I -am very grateful for the interest you have displayed towards me. Mr. -Carey has given me no details, preferring that I should hear them all -from you. I should like to know, in the first place, what gave you the -idea of the identity of my husband, Mr. Griswold, with the victim of -this cruel deed?'</p> - -<p>'I think I can answer that question,' said Miss Montressor, bending -forward. 'The gentleman whom we knew as Mr. Foster once showed me a -portrait of a lady which he described as his wife's. I had the -portrait in my hands for some time, and its features were vividly -impressed in my mind. Before we made our first appearance at the -theatre here, I had heard accidentally that you were to occupy a -certain seat, and I was instructed to look out for you. You may judge -of my astonishment when in that seat I saw a lady whom I recognised as -the original of the portrait which Mr. Foster had shown me.'</p> - -<p>'You must pardon my appearing a little confused,' said poor Helen, -putting her hand on her head. 'Do I understand that you recognise me -as the original of the portrait shown to you?'</p> - -<p>'Certainly,' replied Miss Montressor; 'there could be no doubt about -it.'</p> - -<p>'And this portrait,' asked Helen, 'what was it like--how was it set?'</p> - -<p>'It was a miniature, a very beautifully coloured photograph, I should -say, and it was set in the inside case of a plain gold watch, the -spring which discovered it being very difficult to find.'</p> - -<p>'That was my parting gift to Alston,' murmured Helen. 'Either he must -have shown it to you or it must have been stolen from him.'</p> - -<p>'That I think can easily be decided,' interrupted Bryan Duval, 'by a -description of the gentleman whom we knew as Mr. Foster, and who -showed the portrait to this lady. A man between five-and-thirty and -forty years of age, about my height, with hair somewhat lighter than -mine, a thick dark moustache and imperial, or chin tuft; his -expression somewhat prematurely grave and thoughtful, but brightening -in an instant whenever anything struck his fancy; his manner rather -English than American, perhaps a little formal at first, but frank and -warm when he was known--I beg your pardon,' he added hurriedly, seeing -that Helen had placed her handkerchief to her eyes, 'I fear I have -said too much.'</p> - -<p>'It was only for an instant,' she said, looking up. 'Your description, -to my mind, is singularly accurate, and I fear that it would be -useless to indulge in any further hope. It seems now only too certain -that the worst is true.'</p> - -<p>'What we have to do now, then,' said Thornton Carey, striking in -quickly, and with a significant glance at Duval, 'is to try and -discover what instigated the deed, and by whom it was perpetrated.'</p> - -<p>'To aid us in that endeavour,' said Duval, who perfectly comprehended -the reasons which actuated his companion, 'we must get Mrs. Griswold to -answer as freely and as closely as she possibly can.'</p> - -<p>'I will do so to the best of my ability,' said Helen; 'but I must warn -you from the first that my knowledge of Mr. Griswold was mainly -restricted to his home, where he was the best, the truest, and the -most generous of men. He had not, and I have no doubt correctly, a -very high estimate of woman's value in business matters; he imagined -that they could not grasp the details, and if, during the first days -of our marriage, I ever attempted to talk of his affairs, he -invariably put me off with a pleasant word and a jest. Seeing how he -felt about the matter, I had long since given up attempting to speak -to him concerning them.'</p> - -<p>'But surely this voyage to Europe, which was not an ordinary business -matter, but one entirely out of the way, might have tempted you to -break your rule?' said Bryan Duval.</p> - -<p>'It did,' said Helen. 'I spoke to Mr. Griswold about it on several -occasions; the last I remember perfectly. There had been a little -social gathering at this house, and after our friends had gone my -husband went into his library, to arrange some papers. I joined him -there, and besought him to give up his intended voyage.'</p> - -<p>'What a mercy it would have been if you had succeeded!' said Miss -Montressor.</p> - -<p>'I think I might have succeeded if he alone had been engaged in the -undertaking, for he was much moved by my evident distress; but he told -me that he was merely one of several; that certain of his friends had -joined in the speculation on the strength of his having guaranteed to -carry it out; and that it was impossible for him to back out of it -with honour.'</p> - -<p>'Certain of his friends,' repeated Bryan Duval slowly. 'Did he name -any of them to you?'</p> - -<p>'He did not,' replied Helen.</p> - -<p>'This information gives colour to your idea, Mr. Carey,' continued -Bryan, 'that the prompting of the deed may have come from this side of -the water. You were acquainted with most of your husband's friends, I -suppose, Mrs. Griswold?'</p> - -<p>'In a casual way,' replied Helen. 'Mr. Griswold was of a very -hospitable nature, and was in the habit of inviting them to dinners at -Delmonico's or at this house, at most of which I was present, while -they, in their turn, would invite us.'</p> - -<p>'Now, among these acquaintances, can you think of any one who could be -jealous of Mr. Griswold in any possible way, of his position in -Wall-street, his social status, or--anything else?' asked Bryan Duval, -looking narrowly at her.</p> - -<p>'No,' answered Helen, whose cheeks flushed crimson as the remembrance -of her last interview with Trenton Warren rose unbidden to her -mind--'no, I think not.'</p> - -<p>'It is useless to ask if he had any enemies; none of us, even the most -insignificant, is without them; but had he any enemy, open and -avowed--have you ever heard of any one whom he had crossed in -business, or--in anything else, and who was likely to revenge himself -upon him?'</p> - -<p>'Never,' said Helen decisively; 'never.'</p> - -<p>'And you are absolutely not aware of the existence of any motive -likely to prompt such a crime?'</p> - -<p>'I am not,' replied Helen.</p> - -<p>Bryan Duval shrugged his shoulders, and sank back in his chair.</p> - -<p>'Mr. Duval's questions have been very skilfully put, my dear Mrs. -Griswold, and you have answered them plainly and conscientiously. I -will ask you--'</p> - -<p>'Pray excuse me one minute,' said Miss Montressor; 'there is one point -in connection with the identity of Mr. Foster with Mr. Griswold which -has not yet been brought forward. On the same evening on which your -portrait had been shown to me,' she continued, turning to Helen, 'as we -were driving to London in an open carriage, I complained of the cold, -and Mr. Foster--I may as well continue to call him so--lent me this -pin, which he took from his cravat, to secure my shawl--do you -recognise it?'</p> - -<p>As she spoke she handed the pin to Mrs. Griswold.</p> - -<p>Helen looked at it attentively. 'I have seen this stone before, but I -cannot tell where.' Then, after a pause, she said: 'Now I recollect -perfectly. It was not set as a pin when I saw it, but as a sleeve -link. I found it on the floor of the room after the little party which -I have mentioned, and I do not remember having come across it since.'</p> - -<p>'You are quite right,' said. Miss Montressor. 'Mr. Foster mentioned -having found the link when he unpacked his trunk on his arrival in -England. He imagined it to be one of a set belonging to you, and had -it mounted as a pin. The evidence is not worth much, I know,' -continued Miss Montressor, taking the pin from Helen's hand, and -laying it on the table, 'but it is a small additional proof that Mr. -Griswold and the victim of this horrible crime were one. I am sorry I -interrupted you, Mr. Carey.'</p> - -<p>'Not at all,' replied Thornton. 'I was merely going to sum up all Mr. -Duval's skilful questions in one commonplace one. Have you, my dear -Mrs. Griswold, no idea of anything which could have tempted any one to -assassinate your husband?'</p> - -<p>'Not the slightest in the world,' said Helen, shaking her head -wearily; unless, 'indeed, my poor Alston was mistaken for some one -else. I think that must have been it. I think he must have been -mistaken for some one else.'</p> - -<p>'Mrs. Griswold is growing a little fatigued,' said Bryan Duval, who -had been watching her closely, 'and naturally requires rest and quiet. -I do not think that we can say any more just now, and we had better -bring this painful interview to a close.'</p> - -<p>'I agree with you,' said Thornton Carey; 'one word more and I have -done. I had concluded,' he added, turning to Helen, 'even before what -you told me this morning concerning your letters, that the man who -knew most about your poor husband's affairs, and who was most -thoroughly in his confidence, was Trenton Warren. I have been to his -office, and find that he is at Chicago. I have, accordingly, ventured -to telegraph to him there in your name, desiring him to return at -once, stating that it was of the utmost importance that you should see -him, but not mentioning what has occurred. I hope I did rightly.'</p> - -<p>'I--I suppose so,' Helen replied. 'But you will remain in town, Mr. -Carey, and--this gentleman, and you, madam, will continue to advise -me--will you not?'</p> - -<p>'I may say, speaking for both of us, that we shall be too happy to be -of any service to you,' said Bryan Duval. 'I have had some experience -in the elucidation of mysteries, and I shall devote some time in the -endeavour to bring this villany home to the proper person.'</p> - -<p>'I would offer to stay with you,' said Miss Montressor, 'but, -unfortunately, as you are aware, my avocations do not permit me. I -cannot bear to think of you sitting alone here, without any one to -console you in your trouble.'</p> - -<p>'You are very kind,' said Helen; 'but I feel that I have overtaxed my -strength, and I shall get to bed as soon as possible. Fortunately, my -child's nurse, Mrs. Jenkins'--here Miss Montressor winced--'is a most -attentive and considerate person, and will, I am sure, take every care -of me.'</p> - -<p>'She seems, indeed, quite a treasure,' said Thornton Carey. 'I will -call upon Dr. O'Connor as I go down town, and ask him to look in upon -you when he is driving this way. You must be careful, my dear Mrs. -Griswold; you will need all your strength to help us in the -unravelment of this mystery.' Then they took their leave.</p> - -<p>When they reached the street, Thornton Carey parted from them, with -promises to see them on the morrow; and Bryan Duval, who seemed to -have recovered all his old manner, said to Miss Montressor: 'I am -going down, my dear Clara, on a little mission to the Tombs, which is -the cheerful name they give to the police office here. The judge is an -old friend of mine, and I have already started inquiries among some of -the police officers. It is not a place that I can conveniently take -you to, so I advise you to get into the approaching omnibus, which -these Americans, with their usual perversity, insist on calling a -"stage," and which will put you down at the hotel. You will find the -step very high, but woman is privileged in America, and you can seize -the knee or the nose of the nearest gentleman, and help yourself in by -it, without giving him any offence. You can add to the compliment, so -soon as you are seated, by handing him this ten-cent bill, and -observing his graceful attitudes as he pushes it through the hole in -the roof to the driver. Adios, my child; I shall be back by dinner -time.'</p> - -<p>'Our Clara is a very nice little girl,' said Bryan Duval, as he -strolled down the street, 'and Mr. Thornton Carey is a worthy, good -man--rather of the steady-going beef-and-potatoes kind of order, -without any particular originality or fancy about him, and they both -do their best, and very possibly be of use in helping to puzzle out -the inquiry; but there are times when a man of any genius likes to be -alone, and not to be yoked to any of his humdrum fellow creatures. -Collaboration, working with another person, is a thing that I never -appreciated--I mean working at the same time with another person. If -a fellow has been before me with certain excellent crude notions, -which he had brought to a certain point, and then gave them up because -he lacked the ability to carry them further, and I take them up where -he dropped them, and trundle them into a triumph, I do not call that -collaboration; they become my ideas, and his failure becomes my -success.</p> - -<p>'This is a very singular case,' continued Mr. Duval, taking from his -pocket a small plaited-straw case of cigarettes, opening one, lighting -it, and smoking it in the true Spanish fashion, 'a very singular case, -and one which, properly manipulated, and placed on the boards with -care, ought to bring me in something like a thousand pounds. I have no -doubt there are men in London who are on to it already, who will make -a wretched coarse bungle of the story, ascribing the cause of the -murder to the usual motive, an improper lady, a horrible creature, -with crimson cheeks and tow hair, and who will produce their garbage -at the Surrey, where it will play for ten nights to overflowing -galleries, and never be heard of afterwards. Now, let me see, if -business continues well at the Varieties, I shall remain here till -June; I can sketch out this story on the voyage home, and get it all -ready for some London house to open with in September. Which manager -shall I give it to? Wogsby, at the Parthenon, is too old; wants to -play the principal parts himself, and though he has the remains of -greatness about him, cannot recollect his words. Rowley, at the -Coliseum, can't get on without a show piece; he would want to put -lions and tigers, elephants, camels, and spotted horses into this, and -somehow, as the scene must be laid in Liverpool and thereabouts, that -would spoil the local colour. Hodgkinson, of the Gravity, is, I think, -my man. He is a true showman; French farces, show-leg and break-down -burlesques, fine old English comedy and opera bouffe, are all the same -to Hodgkinson, so long as they draw the coppers, and I think I can -make him see his way to this pretty clearly.</p> - -<p>'I wonder if we are on the right scent or not? Carey's notion that the -crime may have arisen from some business complication is not a bad -one, and I took care immediately to adopt it as my own--there is never -any use in losing the credit of these things. Whether he is right or -not remains to be proved. Of course, in a dramatic version, one would -have to give another motive; business is a deuced unromantic thing, -and no audience could feel any sympathy for a man who was knocked on -the head by some one who had projected an opposition gas-works or a -rival railway line. On the stage, the woman interest must be brought -out, and that is easy enough to do, only just now one has pure prose -to deal with, and I should much like to know the truth of the case. -Union-square, by Jove! How quickly I must have walked. I think the -faintest suspicion of a lunch would recruit exhausted nature before I -plunge into the dirt and desolation of the Tombs.'</p> - -<p>As he said these words, Mr. Duval turned down Fourteenth-street, and -walked into Delmonico's. He was received by the two clerks, who sat at -the counter facing the door, with a grave bow, which he gravely -returned; then he entered the public room, took up his position at a -table in a window, and speedily found one of the sable-clad managers -by his side.</p> - -<p>'Delighted to see you again amongst us, M. Duval,' said this -functionary, speaking in French. 'Every night this saloon is filled -with ladies and gentlemen who, during their supper, <i>raffolent</i> of you -and your success. You were here the other night yourself, I -understand, but I had not the pleasure of seeing you.'</p> - -<p>'Thanks, my dear M. Adolphe,' replied Bryan, in the same language. -'These good New Yorkers are always kind to one, who has happened once -to please them, and I may truly say that they never forget old -friends. And you are looking as young as ever; the cares of business -sit lightly on your shoulders, <i>mon brave</i>,' and he tapped the little -Frenchman lightly on the back. 'Say, Adolphe, is the brand of Chablis -as good as ever?'</p> - -<p>'I think I may say better, M. Duval. We have some now which is--' And -the little man, instead of finishing his sentence, kissed the fingers -of his right hand and waved them in the air.</p> - -<p>'Very well then, Adolphe, send me half a bottle of it and a dozen Blue -Points. I am keeping to small oysters just now, for I am not yet -acclimatised to the American monsters, and come back here yourself -when you have ordered them, for I want to have a few words with you.'</p> - -<p>The oysters were perfectly served, and the Chablis was delicious. -After Mr. Duval had smacked his lips over his first glass of wine, he -turned to M. Adolphe, who stood with a pleased look by his side, and -said: 'Adolphe, you know me of old, and you can be sure that all you -say to me will be treated with perfect confidence.'</p> - -<p>M. Adolphe bowed.</p> - -<p>'You know Mr. Griswold, I suppose?'</p> - -<p>'Why, certainly. He has now gone to Europe, but when he is at home -there is scarcely a day that Mr. Griswold is not here.'</p> - -<p>'Dines here by himself?'</p> - -<p>'Dines and breakfasts here by himself, and with madame, and with his -friends. There are few of our customers whose bills are so long as Mr. -Griswold's, fewer still, alas, who are so prompt in paying them.'</p> - -<p>'Exactly. Now,' continued Mr. Duval, 'I know the excellent rule of -this house, that no one, however well known to the proprietor, is -permitted to be served with a meal in a private room alone with a -lady, even though there is no possible doubt that that lady is his -wife; but I know also that, of course, there are various jolly -supper-parties given up-stairs, at which all sorts of people are -present. Was Mr. Griswold a frequent attendant of any of these?'</p> - -<p>'Never,' said M. Adolphe energetically, 'I am perfectly prepared to -say never. The people with whom Mr. Griswold consorted, male and -female, were always <i>les gens comme faut</i>.'</p> - -<p>'So I should have thought,' said Mr. Duval cheerfully. 'Thank you very -much, Adolphe; in such matters, yours is an opinion to be relied upon. -If ever, when you are off duty of an evening, you would like to come -into the Varieties, send round to the Fifth-avenue Hotel, and I will -give you my card. We are doing great business, but can always find -room for friends.' And Mr. Duval paid his bill, and with a pleasant -nod, strolled leisurely into the street.</p> - -<p>'So far so good,' said he to himself, when he got outside. 'Now, to -make myself quite certain, I will put the question to my old friend, -O'Meara, and if he endorses Adolphe's opinion, I shall have no doubt -about it that Thornton Carey is right; that this has been some -business jealousy, and that there is no woman in the case.'</p> - -<p>Judge O'Meara was the presiding justice, or what would be called in -England the police magistrate, at the Tombs. Looking at him, there was -little reason to ask from what country he originally sprang; his clear -blue eyes, short, turn-up nose, and full, red lips proclaimed him a -genuine son of Erin. His face was clean shaved, with the exception of -a moustache, which, with his reddish-brown hair, was close cropped. -His style of administering justice was peculiar, rough and ready, but -admitted to be well suited to those with whom he had to do.</p> - -<p>As Bryan entered the court, by a door behind the bench, a -wretched-looking object had just been hauled before the judge by a -stalwart Irish policeman.</p> - -<p>'What's this?' cried Judge O'Meara.</p> - -<p>'A dead drunken case, your honour,' said the policeman.</p> - -<p>'Any violence?'</p> - -<p>'No, sir.'</p> - -<p>'Go along with you,' said the judge to the prisoner, who hurried off -delighted at his discharge.</p> - -<p>'What's this?' next asked the judge, as a woman with unkempt hair and -a fearfully black eye was placed before him.</p> - -<p>'Fighting and making a muss in Green-street,' said the policeman.</p> - -<p>'Isn't it Mrs. McCleary?' said the judge, looking hard at her. 'Ah, -Bridget, you villain!' he continued, 'you may well hang your head, but -we are too old friends for me not to recognise you. Is this the three -or four hundredth time I have had you here, Bridget, for battering the -boys when you have taken a drop?'</p> - -<p>'Judge, darling--' said Mrs. McCleary.</p> - -<p>'Whist, Bridget! none of your familiarities before strangers. If I let -you go this time, will you swear to keep straight, and not be bringing -your country and mine into disgrace?'</p> - -<p>'I will, judge, by the Blessed--'</p> - -<p>'Get along out of that,' interrupted the judge, and Mrs. McCleary left -the court rejoicing.</p> - -<p>'Bryan, my dear boy,' said the judge, turning round at the light touch -which Duval had laid on his shoulder, 'the sight of you is good for -sore eyes. I hear you are packing them in like herrings at the -Varieties, and I have not yet had time to come and see you.'</p> - -<p>'So I have come to see you, my dear judge,' said Duval, 'and on a -little matter of business. They used to say, when I was here before, -that you knew every one in New York.'</p> - -<p>'It is a little pride of mine to do so,' said the judge. 'I will walk -up Broadway this afternoon, and there is not a man, woman, or scarce a -child that I cannot tell you something about.'</p> - -<p>'Of course, then, you knew Griswold?'</p> - -<p>'Is it Alston Griswold, corner of Wall and William? I knew him well.'</p> - -<p>'What sort of a fellow is he in his habits?' asked Duval. 'Like you and -me, judge, with a tender leaning towards the tender sex?'</p> - -<p>'My dear Bryan,' said the judge, 'Alston Griswold is the only one man -of my acquaintance who has the least touch of the saint in him that -way. I firmly believe he is devoted to his wife, and that even on this -journey to Europe, which I hear he has undertaken, he will never let -another woman cross his thoughts.'</p> - -<p>'Many thanks, judge; you have told me just what I wanted to know. I -won't detain you now, more especially as we are to meet at supper -to-night at Sutherland's.'</p> - -<p>'Delighted to hear you are to be of the party, my boy,' said the -judge, waving his hand and returning to his business.</p> - -<p>'I beg your pardon, Mr. Duval,' said one of the police -superintendents, stepping up to Bryan, as he was making his way out, -'but the mail from Europe has brought us further information about that -murder in which you were interested.'</p> - -<p>'Ah, indeed, and what is it?' asked Bryan quickly.</p> - -<p>'We have got full particulars of the inquest from London, and copies -of the photograph which was found in the watch.'</p> - -<p>'The deuce you have,' said Bryan; then muttered to himself, 'It will -be known all over the city now.'</p> - -<p>'The Liverpool police,' continued the constable, 'are said to be -investigating the matter with vigilant intelligence, but the coroner's -verdict is an open one, "by some person or persons unknown."'</p> - -<p>'Has the body been identified?' asked Bryan.</p> - -<p>'By one person only,' said the constable, 'a passenger on board the -Birkenhead ferry, who recollected seeing the gentleman leave it in the -company of a man dressed as a Methodist preacher, and carrying a -parcel wrapped in tarpaulin.'</p> - -<p>'Many thanks,' said Bryan. Then, as he turned away, he said to -himself: 'I don't mind parsons of the Establishment, but I never did -like Methodists; they always do their best to spoil my successes.'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br><h4><a name="div3_02" href="#div3Ref_02">CHAPTER II.</a></h4> -<h5>RECOGNISED.</h5> -<br> - -<p>In the course of either her professional or private career, Miss -Montressor had never before found herself mixed up with so interesting -a concatenation of circumstances. She was too true and intentional an -actress, the concentrativeness to which she was hereafter to owe a -very considerable success in her profession, ever to be able to lose -sight of the dramatic side of any event, but it would be doing her a -grievous wrong to say that it was uppermost in her mind on this -occasion. She, like most women in her profession, had rarely had an -opportunity of coming in contact with well-bred and well-educated -women in any other than the most formal and superficial relations. -Such an opportunity was now afforded her, though under melancholy and -deeply-affecting circumstances, by the catastrophe which had befallen -Helen Griswold, and there arose in the mind of the actress a genuine -womanly sympathy, and strong liking for the young widow who bore her -trouble with a calmness and a submission which the other, accustomed -to the strong lines and the forced expressions of the dramatic -rendering of feeling, instinctively admired, though she could not -analyse.</p> - -<p>Strictly speaking, her one interview with Helen Griswold had served -the purposes for which Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey had relied upon -her, and she was in no way bound to undergo any further painful -emotion in connection with this subject. There had been indeed almost -a tone of dismissal in Bryan Duval's manner, when he parted with her -after their interview with Mrs. Griswold--something which intimated -that she was now free to go and enjoy herself, and make the most of -her stay in a new and delightful scene, where all the honours of -popularity awaited her at the hands of the people who best knew how to -make popularity pleasant. But Miss Montressor could not shake off the -impression which Helen had made upon her, and the following morning, -at an hour which rarely witnessed her curtains undrawn or her eyes -unclosed, saw her again at the now desolate house in Fifth-avenue. The -solemn silence which succeeds to the confusion and dismay of such -intelligence as that of which the three had been the bearers on the -previous day, had settled down upon the home of the murdered man; the -tall front of the house showed long lines of white blinds, there was -not a sound to be heard, not a head to be seen at the windows, and for -any stir about it, the house itself might have been as dead as its -master.</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor rang at the bell very gently, and, after a slight -delay, was admitted by a servant whom she had not seen before, and -who, therefore, could not identify her with the visitor to Mrs. -Jenkins of a previous occasion, but who had no difficulty in -discovering that he was addressing the celebrated actress, curiosity -concerning whom even present circumstances had not been able -thoroughly to repress among the household. Miss Montressor had had no -fixed purpose in her mind beyond making an inquiry for Mrs. Griswold, -but when she had done so, had been assured that 'she was wonderfully -well, considering,' the man, with a thoughtful regard for the feelings -of his fellow servants who had not the chance of opening the door to -Miss Montressor, suggested that perhaps that lady would like to see -the nurse, who could give her full particulars of Mrs. Griswold's -state.</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor thought she would very much like to see the nurse. The -man then showed her into the dining-room, and went joyfully to inform -Mrs. Jenkins of the great chance that had turned up for her.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins glanced into Helen's room, where she was still sleeping -heavily under the influence of the opiate, and laying the child, who -had dozed off so soundly asleep, by the mother's side, where she must -touch her on awakening, went softly down the stairs to meet her -sister.</p> - -<p>There was no longer any disguise or concealment in the household; the -nature of the accident to their master, at which Thornton Carey had -dimly hinted when he entreated their care and caution of observing -Mrs. Griswold, was now fully known and incessantly discussed among the -servants, who had become in some mysterious way thoroughly acquainted -with the facts revealed by Bryan Duval and Miss Montressor to their -mistress on the preceding day.</p> - -<p>Their horror and regret were extreme. Alston Griswold had the good -will and good word of all who held a dependent position with regard to -him, and it never occurred to them, as it would have done to English -people under similar circumstances, to discern anything sinister in -his change of name. If he had called himself Foster instead of -Griswold, it was because he had good reasons for it; every one knew -how sharp was the practice in his line of business. The newspapers -containing accounts of the murder at Liverpool, had been eagerly -looked up and read all over again, now that the details had gained -additional and ghastly importance, for the members of the Griswolds' -household and Mrs. Jenkins had been made thoroughly familiar with all -the particulars, extending to Thornton Carey's commission to Jim with -regard to the speedy delivery of the telegram. On only two points she -had not been informed, for the good and sufficient reason that they -had not come to the knowledge of Jim himself. One of these points was -the name of the person to whom the telegram had been despatched, the -other was the place from whence the answer was expected.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins closed the door of the dining-room as noiselessly as if -Helen, two stories above, might have been disturbed by its sound, and -instinctively the two women addressed each other in a whisper.</p> - -<p>'O, my dear Bess,' said Miss Montressor, 'what an awful thing this is! -To think of our having talked about her that night and what she would -wear at the play, and her husband being murdered all the time, and our -knowing him.'</p> - -<p>'Awful, indeed,' said Mrs. Jenkins, as she seated herself by her -sister and possessed herself of her hand, 'but tell me, what is this -about this pin?'</p> - -<p>'What pin? asked Miss Montressor, momentarily oblivious.</p> - -<p>'The pin you left on the table here yesterday--how did you come by -it?'</p> - -<p>'How did I come by it--didn't Mrs. Griswold tell you?'</p> - -<p>'She! bless you, she has not been able to speak two rational words -since the doctor came yesterday.'</p> - -<p>'Why, that is one of the great points in the case, Bess. Mr. Foster, -or rather Mr. Griswold, gave me that pin a few days before we left -London, and told me himself that it belonged to his wife. It went a -great way in making us sure that he was Mr. Griswold, and they say it -is a most important piece of conviction in case they catch the -murderers.'</p> - -<p>'Well,' said Mrs. Jenkins, shaking her head, and looking extremely -puzzled, 'it is very odd; I have seen that carved head before, only -there were two of them, and they were not pins, they were wrist -buttons. I know the thing as well as I know my own wedding-ring; and -how Mrs. Griswold ever got hold of them is strange, for my Ephraim -bought those very heads--I can swear by the little speck in the edge -of the cap in that one of them up-stairs now--when he was travelling -with Mr. and Mrs. Moffat, as a courier at Rome, for a mere nothing. He -believed them to be shams, but some one who knew all about such things -told him afterwards they were nothing of the sort; that they were real -antiques--I suppose you know what that means, Clara? I don't, except -being very old, and dug up somewhere; and the same person said that -the man who sold them to my Eph must have stolen them, for they were -worth ten times the price he gave for them, and he got ten times the -price when he sold them afterwards to Warren.'</p> - -<p>'Who is Warren?' said Miss Montressor.</p> - -<p>It was on the tip of Mrs. Jenkins's tongue, when she happily -remembered her husband's injunctions not to talk of him, so she simply -said:</p> - -<p>'Nobody particular; a man Eph knew in the way of business; but I -cannot understand how Mrs. Griswold came by them.'</p> - -<p>'She probably bought them,' said Miss Montressor, 'from the other man, -and very likely paid him ten times as much as he paid to Eph. That's -the way people who have lots of money get done. I don't see any beauty -in the pin; and you must understand, Bess,' she continued, assuming a -sudden air of very amusing propriety, 'that it was not as a present--at -least not deliberate and intentional--I came by the pin. I just could -not manage to keep my shawl on with a stupid little pin I had in it, -and Mr. Foster took this one out of his scarf, and lent it to me. I -never thought more of it till I found it in my shawl here at New -York.'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins let the subject drop. She had so nearly erred from her -strict fidelity to Eph's directions, that the sooner she put herself -out of reach of a similar danger the safer she felt. 'Well, it don't -matter,' she said. 'It will be many a long day before Mrs. Griswold -will have any thought of such things again. She kept up wonderfully -yesterday, when you and Mr. Carey were here, and even till after the -doctor had seen her, but she must have suffered horribly when she shut -herself up in her own room, for when it got quite dark, and she hadn't -rung her bell, or made no sign, Justine and I got frightened, and we -consulted as to what we had better do about going into the room -without she had rung her bell; but, at last, I made up my mind I could -not bear it any longer, and I took the baby and went in. She was lying -all her length on the hearth-rug, with her face hidden in her hair and -her hands; not insensible, she was in a kind of stupid despair. She -let us lift her up like a log, and she never spoke one word, not even -when I brought the baby to her. She just took her little hand up -listlessly in hers for a minute, and let it drop.'</p> - -<p>In the fulness of her heart, Mrs. Jenkins's homely manner gained a -certain dignity of refinement, which acted immediately upon the -sensitive nerves of her sister, whose tears fell silently, and who saw -with her mental vision the scene her sister's words represented.</p> - -<p>'And then we got her into bed, and sent for the doctor. He gave her a -sleeping draught, and said she was to be watched. Justine wanted to -sit up with her, but I would not let her--she is young, and young -people are never wakeful--so I stayed and sat until this morning, just -outside the curtain, peeping at her through a little chink where it -joined the tester; and through the chink I could see her eyes wide -open, quite unchanged all through the hours of night. I suppose it was -the medicine that kept her so still, for she neither sighed, moaned, -spoke, nor stirred. She might have been a dead woman, with only the -eyes alive, until after the sun rose, and then she began to shiver. I -put an eider-down over her, and in a few minutes she dropped asleep. I -suppose it was the medicine had its own way at last, and there she is -now.'</p> - -<p>'The longer she sleeps the better; she has nothing but trouble to wake -to,' said Miss Montressor. 'My goodness! I wonder why it is so--what -harm did this creature ever do?'</p> - -<p>'Ah,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'and what harm did Mr. Griswold ever do, or -anything but good, so far as I can find out? They say here he hasn't -an enemy in the world.'</p> - -<p>'O, that's all nonsense, my dear!' said Miss Montressor. 'No man ever -was so rich, so prosperous, and so happy as Mr. Griswold without -having lots of enemies; the only wonderful thing is, that he could -have any enemies so much in earnest about it as to run the risk of -killing him. I suppose they will find out who did it?'</p> - -<p>'Suppose they will find out!' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'Of course they will -find out--what's the police for?'</p> - -<p>'A good many people have been asking that same question lately,' said -Miss Montressor, with a smile at her sister's simplicity. 'That is -not, by a long way, the worst murder that they have not found out. You -manage things better over here, I daresay, but in England, for some -time past, the police have been making themselves famous either by -catching no one at all in cases of crime, or by catching the wrong -man.'</p> - -<p>'They say it was not robbery,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'but that he was -taken for somebody else.'</p> - -<p>'That's all hearsay, my dear,' replied Miss Montressor, with an air of -superior wisdom. 'Don't talk about it to the other servants, but I may -tell you in confidence that Bryan Duval, who is about the best -detective going, has very little doubt that the motive, if not the -murderer, is to be found on this side the Atlantic.'</p> - -<p>'No,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'you don't say so! Then you may depend upon -it he will be hunted down, because they tell me here there is no man -more respected or liked than Mr. Griswold, in general; but that he has -one friend whose devotion is quite a talk in the place.'</p> - -<p>'Ah,' said Miss Montressor; 'I suppose that is Mr. Warren they were -inquiring about yesterday? It is rather a pity he is away just now.'</p> - -<p>Again Mrs. Jenkins felt herself on dangerous ground, and once more -withdrew from it, changing the conversation to her sister's prospects -and proceedings in New York.</p> - -<p>The interview between the sisters lasted long, and was undisturbed by -any summons from Helen. Once, in the course of it, Mrs. Jenkins went -softly up-stairs, and looked into the room, whose stillness she -dreaded to find roused into act of suffering. But Helen was still -sleeping, with her child by her side. At first sight the scene was one -of quiet and touching beauty, for the baby's face lay close to that of -the girlish mother, and both looked equally fair; but on a nearer -inspection, it might be seen that Helen's lips were colourless, and -were marked with a dry, black line that comes of artificial sleep -supervening upon acute suffering; and the waxen eyelids, which ranked -among the chief beauties of her face, were tinged with purple; the -weight of the weary head indented the pillow deeply, and the hands, -listlessly stretched out, were cold and heavy. Mrs. Jenkins made some -slight change in the attitude of the sleeper, fearing the constrained, -long-maintained position, and again left her.</p> - -<p>'She is sleeping still,' she said. 'One cannot look at her without -thinking what a good thing it would be if she were never to wake.'</p> - -<p>'O, nonsense, my dear Bess,' said Miss Montressor, who, having talked -it out fully, was experiencing release from the tension of nerves -occasioned by her excitement and genuine sympathy. 'It is an awful -thing, no doubt, but she has youth, strength, and wealth to pull her -through it--and these things do pull people through, somehow or other. -She will be bright and happy again after a while, and then you will be -very glad that the poor child is not left fatherless and motherless -too, at one blow.'</p> - -<p>'Yes, to be sure, Clara--you are right,' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'If women -were easily killed, especially by trouble, there would not be much -gray hair to be seen on women's heads in the world--what a deal they -have to go through in comparison with men!'</p> - -<p>'Well, men are mostly let off easy,' said Miss Montressor; 'but after -all, it is Mr. Griswold that has been murdered, recollect.'</p> - -<p>They entered no further upon this metaphysical subject, and Miss -Montressor shortly after rose to go.</p> - -<p>'Are the gentlemen coming again today?' asked Mrs. Jenkins, while her -sister was resuming her bonnet and jacket.</p> - -<p>'I believe so,' replied Miss Montressor. 'Bryan Duval said something -about it being necessary that Mrs. Griswold should see some of the -police authorities, in order to give any information in her power that -may throw light upon Mr. Griswold's correspondents. It appears that he -wrote a great many business letters at home, so that the office papers -are not sufficiently explicit to account for all his business -transactions. I don't know when they are coming, but I think it is -settled for to-day.'</p> - -<p>'Then,' said Mrs. Jenkins, looking very serious, 'I think that is -exceedingly wrong. I am quite certain Mrs. Griswold will be unable to -see anybody, judging by her looks at present; for even when she was in -no trouble I have known her perfectly stupefied for twenty-four hours -after taking an opiate. I think it would be very cruel to hurt her, -and I am quite sure it would be useless. They had much better not come -here to-day, and I am quite certain that the doctor would strongly -object to anything of the sort if he knew how long it was before she -got rest.'</p> - -<p>'Has he not been here this morning?'</p> - -<p>'No; the orders were that he was to be sent for when she woke, but -that she was not to be disturbed on any account, until the effect -should go off naturally.'</p> - -<p>'Shall I, then, tell Bryan Duval,' said Miss Montressor, 'that you -think it would be useless to make any attempt at taking her evidence -to-day? He is very energetic and deeply interested in this business, -but he has a great objection to wasting his time on his own account, -or on other people's account; and if she could not see them, he would -be greatly annoyed at having been brought up here on a useless errand. -Suppose you were to send round and ask the doctor, Bess?'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins thought this an excellent suggestion, and forthwith -proceeded to carry it out by means of Jim, who she interviewed in the -hall, mindful of her sister's incognito.</p> - -<p>'You've a head worth half a dozen,' was Jim's approving comment upon -the commission with which he was intrusted, to the increase of his own -sense of importance, which had been largely cultivated by Thornton -Carey's confidence. 'I will just go round at once, and ask whether -Mrs. Griswold is to be disturbed on any account whatever.'</p> - -<p>Jim departed on his errand, and returned with marvellous celerity. The -doctor's orders were that Mrs. Griswold was not to be disturbed, was -not to be allowed to see any one, and he added that he would look in -at five o'clock in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>'Then I tell you what it is, Bess,' said Miss Montressor. 'I will just -make the best of my way back to the hotel, and put off this -appointment; Bryan Duval will know where Mr. Carey is to be found.'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins accompanied her sister to the street-door, and once again -encountered Mr. Thornton Carey there. He had come in order to -ascertain the very fact of which Miss Montressor was about to apprise -him, and perfectly agreed, on hearing their report, that no further -steps should be taken on that day. He looked exceedingly worn and -weary, and in answer to Miss Montressor's eager inquiries, informed -her that no further information had transpired, but that his own -conviction that the murder had been at first instigated from this side -was deepened by every additional item of information which he had been -able to gain respecting the magnitude and complication of Mr. -Griswold's commercial transactions, and the conflicting interests -involved in their failure or success.</p> -<br> -<h4 style="letter-spacing:1em">* * * * * *</h4> -<br> -<p>When her sister left her, accompanied by Thornton Carey, Mrs. Jenkins -returned to her watch in Helen's room, from which she removed the -infant, by this time awake.</p> - -<p>Lurking under all her true womanly sympathy and acts of helpfulness in -the great calamity of the household was a sense of deep personal -disappointment; the heart of Mrs. Jenkins was filled with two great -affections, one towards her husband, the other towards her sister, and -her intellect contemplated but two absorbing pleasures; the first, the -presence of her Ephraim was denied to her by Fate in so conclusive a -manner that she had ceased to fret over it, for practical common sense -had a large share in her organisation; the second, a personal -observation of her sister's celebrity, success, and proficiency in her -profession she had counted upon as within her reach, and now the great -event had taken place, the star actor and his company were in -possession of the boards of the Varieties, all New York was talking of -Miss Montressor, the papers contained specific and voluminous -descriptions of her appearance, dress, manners, and also indulged in -dainty anecdotes respecting off-the-boards utterances of hers to the -favoured few who had yet seen her in private. From all these glories -and delights Mrs. Jenkins was excluded by hard Fate, which had hit her -by a back-handed blow. Once or twice she had cherished for a moment -the notion of slipping out for half an hour, and occupying some -unobtrusive corner of the theatre, where she might see her sister for -a few minutes in one of her great impersonations, and slipping back -again unsuspected, but her better feelings utterly prevailed over the -temptation. She could not leave her mistress, and she could not bear -the contrast which the gaiety and brilliancy and pleasure of a theatre -would present to the awful desolation of the fine house to which she -had once thought of coming from the poverty and the difficulties that -had condemned her to parting with Ephraim. 'It must be sheer heaven to -live so,' she said with just one sigh, given to the recollection of -the high hope with which she had heard the promise of her sister's -coming, she went back to the painful round of her duties, many of them -self-imposed.</p> - -<p>Helen Griswold had the faculty of winning the love of all those in her -employment, and there was not a servant in the house who would not -willingly have shared Mrs. Jenkins's watch, but she had a notion that -as she was the only wife and mother among them, she could draw nearer -to the bereaved wife and mother who still lay there in merciful -unconsciousness; so the hours wore away and Mrs. Jenkins watched her -patient. The doctor came, looked at the sleeping form on the bed, felt -the pulse, touched the clammy forehead, listened to the faltering -breath, and went his way, declaring it still safe to leave her -undisturbed.</p> - -<p>'If she could sleep all round the clock,' said he, 'so much the -better. Twenty-four hours' oblivion is not to be lightly thought of in -such a case as hers.'</p> - -<p>'I am afraid, sir,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'she will have to see the -police people tomorrow, that it cannot be put off longer, because they -talk of sending an agent to England by the next mail.'</p> - -<p>'In that case,' said the doctor, 'when she wakes let her have food and -stimulants; take her up, give her a warm bath, and, according as you -find her nerves stronger and her mind clearer, prepare her for the -task that lies before her. I shall see her in the morning, and will -remain here to meet the gentlemen who are coming.'</p> - -<p>Late that night Thornton Carey again called to hear the doctor's last -report, which he did from Mrs. Jenkins, and then, begging, if -possible, to prepare Mrs. Griswold for the trying visit upon which -they were obliged to insist, at eleven o'clock on the following day, -he went down to the theatre, where the performance was just coming to -a close, and joined Bryan Duval. They returned to the Fifth-avenue -Hotel together, and held a long conference, which lasted long into the -night.</p> - -<p>Immediately after Thornton Carey left Mrs. Jenkins, she once more -pressed into her service the indefatigable Jim, despatching him with a -note to Miss Montressor, adopting the periodical fiction that Mr. -Carey had employed her to communicate on his behalf with that lady, -who wished to know the latest accounts of Mrs. Griswold; but the -purport of her note was to beg that Clara would come up to the house -as early as she could on the following morning. 'The truth is,' wrote -Mrs. Jenkins to her sister, 'I am exceedingly worn out, and though -they are very willing up here, they have not much sense; and in case -there is a great to-do to-morrow morning with the gentlemen and the -police people, I do not feel equal to it all by myself or with only -Justine, who is as incapable as any foreigner I have ever met, though -not bad meaning. So, my dear Clara, come up if you can at all. Mrs. -Griswold, who has been sitting up and talking quite rational, has -taken a great fancy to you, and would, I am sure, be very glad that -you should be with her in case I broke down altogether, which does not -seem unlikely, and would be a very had job, especially for baby.'</p> - -<p>As this invention jumped precisely with Miss Montressor's own wishes, -she acceded to it with great alacrity, and with the full and cordial -consent of Bryan Duval, with whom she communicated that very night.</p> - -<p>'Quite right, my dear Clara; you are a capital person in emergencies, -and everything of the sort is first-rate study.'</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor arrived early, and was again conducted to the -dining-room where her sister soon joined her.</p> - -<p>'Mrs. Griswold had passed a good night, and was wonderfully composed.' -Mrs. Jenkins related admiringly how she had risen early that morning, -allowed herself to be carefully dressed, striven to eat the food which -was prepared for her, and made a great effort to be cheerful and -considerate towards her attendants. 'The only thing she is not equal -to,' said Mrs. Jenkins, 'is trying to play with baby. She just looks -at her until the tears come, and then she turns away. Now she is quite -ready to see Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey, and I have left her sitting -before her writing-table, with a pile of papers and letters, sorting -them all as regularly and orderly as possible. She said so meekly, "I -must not waste these gentlemen's time, or give them trouble, you know. -I must be prepared for them." They do say in the house that she never -knew anything about business, and that Mr. Griswold thought she had no -head for it; but I am greatly mistaken if she hasn't a head for -anything she might choose to employ it in. She knows you are coming, -Clara, and said she thought it very kind of you, indeed, and that she -would be quite able to see you before the gentlemen came; but I think -that would be a risk. She would get talking to you about everything -Mr. Griswold said and did during the time you knew him, and that would -be sure to make her cry. I daresay there is not much composure really -in her; but the more she can keep her manner composed the better, and -those violent fits of crying are so exhausting.'</p> - -<p>'You are quite right, Bess,' returned Miss Montressor. 'I would much -rather not see her until after they have all gone away; then it will -do her good to talk it over in detail with me, and then to cry her -poor eyes out if she likes. So if you will just put me into a room -handy to the one you will put these people in, I will be ready in case -you are wanted. The only thing you must not do is give me the baby to -hold, for I don't know anything about babies, and, to tell the truth, -I don't like them.'</p> - -<p>With this amicable understanding, the two sisters were about to walk -up-stairs, and Mrs. Jenkins had assumed the distant manner which she -always put on when there was a risk of their encountering any of the -other servants, when their progress was interrupted by overhearing a -dialogue which was taking place in the hall between Jim and an unknown -individual.</p> - -<p>'Whoever can it be?' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'There are such strict orders -for no one but Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey, and the people with them, to -come in, that I cannot understand who Jim can be parleying with. I -will just go and see.'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins opened the dining-room door just sufficient to enable her -to catch sight of the unknown individual, and to whom Jim was -protesting, with characteristic vehemence, that something or other -which he had demanded was an out-and-out impossibility.</p> - -<p>The stranger was a man of rather low stature and slight figure, -dressed in a loose, shaggy coat, with a low felt hat pulled down over -his eyes, so as effectually to hide all the upper part of the face, -and he was speaking to Jim with great urgency, placing one hand -against the door, as if he dreaded that the servant, in the strict -appreciation of his duty, would close it against him by force. 'I must -see Mrs. Griswold,' he said; 'I must, indeed.'</p> - -<p>'It is quite impossible, sir; Mrs. Griswold cannot see any one. You -surely do not know the trouble the house is in, or you would not think -of asking such a thing. You must send up your message.'</p> - -<p>'I cannot send up my message,' said the stranger, 'it is totally -impossible; pray take up my request to Mrs. Griswold.'</p> - -<p>'I assure you, sir, it is useless to persist,' said Jim, 'and quite -out of the question that you should see Mrs. Griswold. Do you really -not know what has happened?'</p> - -<p>'I know nothing,' returned the man.</p> - -<p>'Then, sir,' said Jim, 'you had better know it--Mr. Griswold is dead, -and what's more, he has met with foul play.'</p> - -<p>The stranger started a little and exclaimed: 'How very dreadful! But -is there nothing else wrong? Is there nothing wrong with any one in -the house?'</p> - -<p>'No, nothing,' replied Jim, 'except that Mrs. Griswold is very ill -indeed, as might be expected; and you will now see, sir, how -impossible it is that she could receive you.'</p> - -<p>'I fear it is impossible. Can I not see any other member of the -family?'</p> - -<p>'There is no female,' returned Jim, 'except the baby, and she ain't -weaned; but you can see Mrs. Jenkins, the nurse, if you will step into -the dining-room; in case that can do you any good, I will go and call -her down to you.'</p> - -<p>In the general confusion, Jim, who had momentarily forgotten all about -Miss Montressor, advanced to the dining-room, followed by the -stranger, simply threw the door open, allowed him to pass through it. -and without having glanced into the room, went on his errand in search -of Mrs. Jenkins, who had withdrawn from the door and closed it as the -sound of the stranger's voice reached her ears; also, to Miss -Montressor's amazement, she had sat down, looking exceedingly pale and -faint; she was realising her apprehensions, Miss Montressor thought, -and breaking down in earnest.</p> - -<p>It was only a minute from the time Mrs. Jenkins stepped back from the -door until the stranger walked into the dining-room, at the farther -end of which were the two women, who both rose at the sight of him. -One, Mrs. Jenkins, cried out, 'Ephraim!' and rushed towards him; while -the other, standing still in rigid amazement, exclaimed, 'Mr. Dolby!'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_03" href="#div3Ref_03">CHAPTER III.</a></h4> -<h5>A WAY OF ESCAPE.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The amazement of Miss Montressor had a double origin; the primary one, -that Mr. Dolby should turn up, in this unexpected and extraordinary -manner, in a place with which he had no connection that she had the -most remote suspicion of; the secondary one, that her sister should -have rushed into that gentleman's arms, and called him 'Ephraim.' -Within the last few days her mind had been so absorbed in the terrible -details of the Griswold story, that Mr. Dolby had hardly crossed it; -and positively since that morning she had never remembered his -existence until the fact was recalled to her in this unprecedented -fashion. When she had thought of him at all, it was always with the -fixed idea that he had preceded her to America for the purpose of -watching her, and now she firmly believed her suspicions to be -realised; but even the rapidity of thought did not enable her to do -more than realise this fact before her sister said, turning to her, -while she still clutched the stranger by the arm, 'This is my husband, -Clara; what can you mean by calling him Mr. Dolby?'</p> - -<p>Never had the self-possession inseparable from anything like a fair -proficiency in her art stood Miss Montressor in such stead as at this -moment. She recovered herself instantly, and replied, 'My dear Bess, -is this really your husband, your Ephraim of whom we were talking only -a few minutes ago? How very odd that an accidental but strong likeness -should have led me to have imagined he was a friend of mine!'</p> - -<p>'So he will be a friend of yours, I suppose,' said Mrs. Jenkins, with -just the slightest possible revival of a combatant tone in her voice; -for even the joy of her husband's unexpected return could not silence -her from some measure of protest against her sister's indifference. -'And what in the world has brought you back, Eph, and why did you not -tell me you were coming?'</p> - -<p>'Why in the world was I sent for, Bess?' was Ephraim Jenkins's reply, -as he fixed his eyes upon his wife's face with an unmistakably sincere -expression of surprise.</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor was not prepared to find her sister's husband a -good-looking, gentlemanly, and well-dressed man; but these -circumstances made no difference at all in the sensation of quiet, -sincere, and irrepressible vexation with which she regarded this -meeting. It was her most earnest wish that she should never be brought -in contact with Jenkins under any circumstances; but to meet him under -the present, and at Mrs. Griswold's, where she had such strong motives -for disguising her identity with Mrs. Jenkins's sister, was especially -annoying to her. Of course the secret could not be kept now, was -almost her first thought, but it was worth trying for, and so she -unceremoniously interrupted the explanation which Ephraim was about to -give to his astonished wife by hurriedly explaining to him that no one -must know of their relationship.</p> - -<p>'Bess has made me a solemn promise,' she said, 'that she will not tell -it, and I expect you to observe it for her sake.'</p> - -<p>'Whoever do you suppose I am going to talk to about you,' said Jenkins -roughly, with an instantaneous relief, throwing off all the -gentlemanly manner and appearance, which was the merest disguise, and -with which he equally discarded his previously striking resemblance to -Mr. Dolby. 'Bess knows her own business, so do you; and if you don't -want to acknowledge her, I'm not going to peach.'</p> - -<p>'Thank you,' said Miss Montressor, with great self-command, and she -actually put out her hand graciously to her detested brother-in-law.</p> - -<p>He took it rather sulkily, and growled out that she need not be in -such a hurry to disavow folks that didn't want anything from her.</p> - -<p>'That's not my motive,' said Miss Montressor, 'as Bess will explain to -you. But I must go now; she won't want me to stay with her now she has -got you.'</p> - -<p>'O, pray don't go!' exclaimed Mrs. Jenkins. 'I do want to talk to -Ephraim, and find out how it is that he has dropped from the clouds in -this unexpected way, but perhaps you won't mind staying all the same. -There is no one in the boudoir, and I could take you up there while I -talk to Ephraim. Mr. Duval and Mr. Carey will be here very shortly.'</p> - -<p>Good-nature and curiosity united induced Miss Montressor to comply -with her sister's request. 'Very well,' she said; 'I will go to the -boudoir; you need not take me up, I know my own way there. Don't you -remember, Bess, I have been all over the house with you.' And she went -towards the door, but just as she had reached it, Ephraim Jenkins -stopped her with a question.</p> - -<p>'Would you mind telling me, Miss Montressor,' he said ceremoniously, -and with a half-ironical sort of bow, 'who was the individual for whom -you did me the honour to mistake me just now? Would you mind -mentioning his name? I find it quite unpleasant enough to have one -double, as I have already, without being accommodated with two.'</p> - -<p>'I mistook you,' she said, 'for Mr. George Dolby, who is an American, -like yourself, whom I knew very well in London. Pray don't be -offended; I assure you you might very well accept my error as a -compliment.'</p> - -<p>'Mr. George Dolby,' repeated Ephraim, with an intent frown upon his -face as of one trying painfully to retrace a track of thought or to -work out a puzzle; 'Mr. George Dolby, an American? Is the gentleman in -New York just now?'</p> - -<p>'To the best of my belief,' returned Miss Montressor briefly, 'he is;' -and with that she left the room.</p> - -<p>'By Jove, Bess,' said Jenkins, laying his hand upon his wife's -shoulder, holding her at a little distance from him, and looking into -her face with an expression of strange mingled suspicion, curiosity, -and amusement, 'it is Warren, and he has been up to his game with her -in London--it must be, you know; but I am precious glad he has come -back, though why he should not have let me know he is back, I cannot -tell. However, his being here at New York gets me out of a devil of a -mess that I should have been very much puzzled how to get out of -myself; though I will tell you what it is,' he continued, drawing her -close to him and kissing her fondly, 'I would have got into it ten -times over, and trusted to my own luck, or the devil's own luck, to -get out of it, for the relief the sight of your face gave me, and when -I found there was nothing wrong with you.'</p> - -<p>'But what brought you here, Eph, and how came you to think there was -anything wrong with me?'</p> - -<p>His wife was not to be won from her uneasiness, or diverted from her -wish to understand precisely what had occurred, by even the -affectionate assurance which was so dear to her, and she reiterated -her question very earnestly.</p> - -<p>'We shall have very little uninterrupted time, Eph,' she said; -'awful things have happened here. Mr. Griswold has been murdered in -England--you must have seen all about it in the papers?'</p> - -<p>'No, I didn't; I should have known the meaning if I had, on account of -Warren as well as on account of you, Bess; for I haven't forgot, and I -don't mean to, how kind Mrs. Griswold has been to you. Poor thing, she -is awfully cut up, I suppose.'</p> - -<p>'She's just heartbroken, Eph, and the police are coming here presently -to make her tell all she knows, poor soul; and as I was saying to -Nelly--to Clara, I mean--just now, that's not much, for they do say -Mr. Griswold was the closest man in New York about his affairs; and I -must leave you then and go to her; so you must tell me as much as you -can as quick as you can. Take off that great heavy coat, Eph, and that -hat, and sit down.'</p> - -<p>'No, no; I mustn't do that, Bess,' replied Jenkins, drawing the coat -still more closely round him, and ramming the hat still further down -over his eyes by a blow on the crown. 'Whatever are you thinking -about? They know Warren perfectly well here, and if they either took -me for him, and found out I'm somebody else, or else if they -discovered that there's anybody about so uncommon like him as I am, -they might have their suspicions roused, and set to look for him -directly. And that would not pay, Bess, my dear, neither on his -account nor on my own; for though I don't suppose they could do me -much harm, and for certain they couldn't make me out to be up to -any--deliberate harm, I mean--of course, it ain't altogether on the -square, this lay I'm on for Warren. And, then, if he should be up to -anything out-of-the-way-fishy, which I'm sometimes tempted to suspect, -and they find out that he is not at Chicago while he's pretending to -be there, even suppose they couldn't molest me at all, they certainly -could stop <i>his</i> little game; and in our present circumstances, Bess, -my girl, we must remember that stopping his little game means stopping -our rations.'</p> - -<p>'Yes, yes,' said Mrs. Jenkins mournfully, twisting the end of her -apron about in her fingers in a way habitual to her in perplexity. 'I -know that, Eph; and yet I cannot tell you how uneasy and wretched I am -feeling, and have been feeling ever since we parted, and you went to -undertake this dark and dirty business for Warren. Dark we know it is, -and dirty I cannot but suspect it to be. O Eph, could you but give it -up? If you only would be satisfied to stick regularly to some kind of -fixed work, and let us live respectable, however poor!'</p> - -<p>'We couldn't easily be poorer than we've been when we lived -disrespectable,' said Jenkins, with a kind of surly good humour; 'and -I think I could stick to work if only the pay would stick <i>to me</i>,--but -where is it to be had? You can't have forgotten, Bess, how hard I -have had to work in this place, and how I never got any for a -constancy--yes, yes, I know what your shake of the head means, and -you've good right to shake it, I'm not going for a moment to deny -that--and how, then, Warren was always giving me, or getting somebody -else to get me, odd jobs. Well, one can't work steadily at odd jobs; -it ain't in the nature of things, nor yet in one's own nature. If -one's business is unsteady, one must be unsteady with it; and where -any thing except odd jobs is to come from, especially if I vex Warren, -and he shunts me off in earnest, I cannot guess. Can you?'</p> - -<p>'I think, Eph--indeed I am sure--Mrs. Griswold would be a good friend -to us, if you would let me tell her the truth--I don't mean about -Warren, of course, but about our difficulties. I think she would get -you a fixed place somewhere, through Mr. Carey's influence--and Warren -would never hear of it; or if he did hear of it, he would know, by her -ignorance of your being his brother, that you had not betrayed his -secret. And, after all, he would then be effectually rid of us, -Ephraim, and I think he would be very glad to be rid of us--or I -should say of you, because he does not know of my existence--at the -price of having his pride hurt by Mrs. Griswold or Mr. Carey observing -that there is a strong likeness between him and the husband of her -baby's nurse. Do think of it, Ephraim, and let me ask her, when she -has got over her great trouble a little, and can look beyond it for -the sake of other people. It will not be long first, for she is the -most unselfish woman, I do believe, in all the world. Will you let me -speak to her, Eph, when I can get an opportunity?'</p> - -<p>'Well,' replied Ephraim Jenkins, with a little reluctance in his tone, -as of an instinctive, irrepressible shrinking from the burden of a -threatened respectability in the future, combined with regular hours -and regular work, 'I don't mind--only, you know, <i>I must</i> see this -piece of business through to the end; and now, Bess, I must tell you -what has brought me here; you were awfully anxious to know a few -minutes ago, until you went off at a tangent all about Mrs. Griswold, -and a fixed occupation and what not, and now you seem to have -forgotten all about it.'</p> - -<p>'No, I haven't, Ephraim dear,' replied his wife, as she put her arm -round his neck, and looked earnestly into his face; 'only the first -feeling of fright has gone off in the pleasure of seeing you again so -unexpected--for it did give me a shock of fright as well as a shock of -joy. I suppose it was some business of Warren's?'</p> - -<p>'<i>I</i> suppose it is too,' he said; 'but I only suppose, for I don't -<i>know</i>--and you have thrown more light on it since I came than it has -had on it all through the journey, and before I started; for I came -off in such a desperate mortal fright about you, my girl, that I never -remembered, until I was hours on my way, that the telegram was -intended for Warren, and not for me at all.'</p> - -<p>'What telegram, Ephraim? I am all astray--I don't understand you. Did -you get a telegram? From whom?'</p> - -<p>'Yes, <i>I</i> got a telegram, but I suppose, as you are all right, the -message could not have had anything to do with me.'</p> - -<p>He took out of a breast-pocket in his shaggy overcoat a crumpled and a -dirty telegraph form, which was to the following effect:</p> - -<p>'From Thornton Carey, New York, to Trenton Warren, 3 Bryan's Block, -Chicago. You are earnestly requested by Mrs. Griswold to come to New -York without delay. It is of the utmost importance that she should see -you. A terrible calamity has occurred.'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins read this document twice over with the seriousness of a -person unaccustomed to telegrams, and then returned it to Ephraim. -'The terrible calamity, of course, means Mr. Griswold's murder.'</p> - -<p>'Of course that is clear enough now; but can you not understand, Bess, -that not knowing a word of that, and merely having this vague -instruction, and being so accustomed to be and see myself called -Trenton Warren in words and in writing, and, above all, having my mind -so full of you, the mere notion of a calamity in connection with this -house meant merely <i>you</i> for my fears, and I started at once, never -remembering that Mrs. Griswold could not possibly have meant to -address me. It all came quite clear to me after a while, but then I -began to torment myself again with fresh fears. "What," I thought, "if -Bess should be very ill and dying, and have confessed it all to this -kind woman whom she likes, and Mrs. Griswold should have taken this -clever way of letting me know that she knows, and that I need not be -afraid of anything but just come to her at once?" From the instant -that flashed into my thoughts, Bess, you may guess I was in an agony -to get on every mile of the road, and I give you my word I could -hardly drag myself up the stoop to ring at the door-bell, so -completely had that second notion taken possession of my mind. I was -in such a state of alarm and suspense that, God forgive me, I do -believe the news that old fellow told me at the door did not seem half -terrible to me.'</p> - -<p>'You were always fond of me, Eph, any way,' said his wife, as she -kissed him heartily, while tears glittered in her frank sweet eves.</p> - -<p>'I should think so, Bess,' he replied. 'I am bad enough, I know, but -not such a duffer, no, nor such a brute neither, as I should be if I -ever leave off being <i>that</i>. Hollo! there's somebody coming. I hope it -isn't the police people, in which case I had better clear out. I can -come back, you know, when they're gone; but I've a constitutional -objection, to say nothing of the present circumstances, to being -inside a house with them.'</p> - -<p>The approaching steps were not those of undesirable intruders. It was -only Annette, who had brought the baby--she carried the little -creature very much as Moggs carried Gabriel Varden's sword, as if she -was terribly afraid of it--to her nurse. Annette explained that the -child having grown restless, madame had rung her bell, and asked for -Mrs. Jenkins and on being told that Mrs. Jenkins had a friend to see -her, she had merely asked her to carry the child down to her. Annette -reported that madame was still where Mrs. Jenkins had left her, -sitting at her writing-table sorting letters and other papers, and -that she was quite composed, though looking very ill and mortally -pale. And Annette, to whom Miss Montressor had been most gracious, had -just glanced into the boudoir as she came down-stairs, and found the -celebrity fast asleep.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins laughed. Her sister had always been famous for a most -enviable power of going to sleep. 'I never remember a time when -Nelly--Clara, I mean--could not eat and sleep, no matter what -happened, or to whom it occurred,' she said admiringly to Ephraim, who -remembered that those faculties were useful, but not particularly -sentimental, 'and that for his part, he liked a touch of nerves about -a woman; least-ways what some people called nerves, but he called -feelings.'</p> - -<p>In this pointed remark Ephraim Jenkins did injustice to his fair -sister-in-law. Miss Montressor was by no means deficient in feeling, -but she was very healthy, and just now she was very tired, so that it -was her nature to sleep under the circumstances, and sleep she -accordingly did. Having made her communications, Annette tripped out -of the room, after having honoured Mrs. Jenkins's visitor with a -condescending bow and a long, steady, attentive stare, of which he was -uncomfortably conscious, and which he tried to avoid, but in vain.</p> - -<p>He need not have felt alarmed, however, at any risk of recognition by -Mdlle. Annette. She merely remarked in soliloquy, 'How all these -Yankees resemble one another in an astonishing fashion. When one has -seen one of them, one has seen them all, except just in the regard of -height and thinness. It is only in France that we find variety of -physiognomy.'</p> - -<p>'What a pretty child!' said Ephraim Jenkins, touching the infant's -dimpled cheek with his finger, as it lay close to his wife's -breast--'not much like our poor little man, Bess?'</p> - -<p>'No, bless her heart; not like him in the plump healthy face, but -sweet and clever like him;' and the mother, who had not buried -her dead out of her memory, hugged the baby with a slight -rapidly-suppressed sob, and loved her husband all the more dearly for -the reference to the little crippled sufferer who had been her -treasure and her heartache in one.</p> - -<p>'Now then, Bess, we must consult about what is to be done, for I do -think things look extremely queer. The last communication I had from -Warren was from London, and there was nothing at all unusual in it; he -merely enclosed some letters to be sent on to New York, and sent me a -lot of blank signatures. He has never given me the slightest inkling -of what his business in England is really about. By the bye, isn't it -odd that there should be the same sort of mystery about what Mr. -Griswold has been doing over there? I wonder if they were in the same -boat.'</p> - -<p>'I have heard Mr. Warren spoken of among the servants,' said Mrs. -Jenkins, 'as being Mr. Griswold's greatest friend, but I have never -heard them say anything about any business partnership between them, -and there is no other name in the firm that I know of.'</p> - -<p>'O, then I suppose they were not mixed up in business,' said Ephraim, -'and I must say, knowing what I do of my worthy brother, I should feel -inclined to add, so much the better for poor Mr. Griswold during his -own lifetime, and for those whom he has left to profit by his gains. I -suspect they would find them materially reduced if Warren had had the -handling of any of them. Of course, I have not had much to do with his -affairs down at Chicago; but there is a precious lot of bogus in what -I have had to do with, and I have been asked some very nasty questions -lately--in writing, of courser I mean, and in his person, which I was -totally unable to answer; and as he didn't authorise me to go in for -cable expenses, I have been obliged to leave them unanswered, and I -expect some of my correspondents are getting rather impatient under -these circumstances. Bess, you will observe that what Miss Montressor -let out just now when she took me for Mr. Dolby has rather a curious -meaning; for suppose Warren should have left London, as her account of -Mr. Dolby seems to imply, he will not have got my last letters -informing him of the dilemma in which I find myself; and how I am to -get out of it I am sure I can't tell should this be the case. Of -course, as long as I felt sure he was in England, it was tolerably -plain sailing; there was nothing to fear but delay; but if he has left -England and come back here, and is hiding about anywhere and not -communicating with me, I consider something much worse than delay is -to be apprehended, and I don't at all bargain for getting into any -extensive and difficult scrape in the matter. So that you see I had -more motives than one in coming up immediately on receipt of the -telegram; because, though I really did make the blunder I have told -you of in forgetting that it could not be addressed to me in reality, -I have had for some weeks a great wish to find out, if possible, what -Warren is about. I don't think I can be involved in any serious -mischief, because I have taken such care never to forge his name--all -papers that have left my hands bearing it are genuine signatures.'</p> - -<p>'That's a comfort,' said Bess; 'but how can you find out anything about -him here? You can't go to any of the places where he is known without -betraying him.'</p> - -<p>'That's just my difficulty,' said Jenkins, 'because it's a perfectly -new light to me that his real business friends here, the people with -whom he is actually mixed up in big transactions, verily and indeed -believe him to be at Chicago. My notion was that it was only some one -or two particular persons he wanted to impose upon; but the matter -takes a completely different complexion now that I find out his most -confidential people here believe him to be where he is not.'</p> - -<p>'How do you know they are also imposed upon?' asked Bess.</p> - -<p>'By the telegram, my dear. Of course Mr. Carey must have got the -address from Mrs. Griswold, or at Warren's office--there can be no two -ways about that--and of course, under the circumstances, they would -not deceive him, nor can Mrs. Griswold be reasonably supposed to be in -ignorance of his whereabouts. If any one was to be in the secret, it -would be the people in this house; and now it is plain that Warren is -deceiving them all round, and, you see, it isn't pleasant. He was -always a good hand at getting from out of one more than one bargained -for; but I must say, in this matter I should like to know what amount -of dirty work I am expected to do, and how deep the dirtiness is.'</p> - -<p>Jenkins had said all this in his usual light and careless way, and -while he was speaking had kept playing with the baby in his wife's -arms; but she, watching him closely, discerned very real alarm and -anxiety under his slightly-swaggering manner and at once well-founded -fright.</p> - -<p>'Ephraim,' she said, laying her hand upon his arm impressively, 'have -you ever been sorry for listening to my advice?'</p> - -<p>'Never, Bess', he replied; 'but I have very often been sorry for not -listening to it.'</p> - -<p>'Well,' she said, 'hear it and take it now. Of course, I understand no -more, but a good deal less, of what your brother's object and actions -are than you do; but something within me, something which I have heard -before now in my life, and which never told me a lie, says plainly to -me that you have put yourself into a dreadful danger; that whatever -Warren is about it can be no good, and it is going wrong. Just think -for a moment. I suppose it was for the best of purposes in the world, -but how mad a thing it must be for any man well known in business in a -great city like New York to imagine that he could successfully pretend -to be in one place while he is in another, in these days of -telegraphs, for any length of time beyond a few hours or days at the -outside. He is a clever man, well up in business, and must have known -this,--the difficulty would have been quite plain to him,--and -therefore it is only reasonable to conclude that he had some motive -for running this great risk strong enough to induce him to throw aside -all his knowledge of business, and all his shrewd habits of -calculating the consequences. Is this motive likely to be a good one, -to say nothing of the crooked ways and the deceit through which he has -to carry it out? I think you know your brother by this time too well -to give him credit for good motives; besides, good things do not need -doing in the dark. Now I will tell you what you must do, Eph, and you -must do it at once if you want to save me from distraction, and -yourself from being mixed up in the ruin which I am certain is coming -on Warren. Whatever he intended to do while he was supposed to be at -Chicago he intended to do quicker than this; he never can have -imagined that the sham could be prolonged up to this time; and your -not having heard from him, his not having returned, or, if what Miss -Montressor says is the case, that he has been passing under the name -of Dolby, and that he has come back to America, which would make it -all look much more extraordinary and more dangerous, it is plain that -he has failed, and failure in any object which he had to gain by such -risky means must have a big meaning, and you must get out of it, Eph.'</p> - -<p>'Get out of it, Bess? How am I to get out of it? I will do anything -you tell me; you have got a clearer head than mine--since I have been -down there at Chicago I have come to think myself no end of a -bungler--but all your clear-headedness won't see my way out of this -fix, at all events until we can get hold of Warren. If he comes back -and shows up, I will promise you I will face him, and tell him at once -that I will have no more of it, come what may; and I can't stir a peg -until he does come.'</p> - -<p>'Yes you can, Eph, and you must,' said his wife; 'you must, or we -shall be utterly ruined, without doing him any good. I feel convinced -this is no business matter, but something very bad, in which he has -not succeeded, and which will involve us all. Now this is what you -must do. Get back to Chicago without an hour's delay, without seeing -any one, bring away all the business papers, take them to Warren's -real place of business, and get off to England.'</p> - -<p>Jenkins stared at her in open-eyed wonder. 'Get off to England! What -on earth for?'</p> - -<p>'How can I tell?' she said, rather impatiently. 'I speak under an -irresistible impulse and a great fear. You must have done with this -thing, and this is the only way to get rid of it.'</p> - -<p>'But I haven't money to do all this,' said Jenkins. 'You don't suppose -Warren would trust me with more than he could help; and if I were to -leave him in the lurch in this way, I shouldn't like to take any in -advance, you know; that would look as ugly as anything he may have -been doing, for I suppose the worst of it has been dabbling in other -people's dollars.'</p> - -<p>'Don't fret about that,' said his wife; 'there is a good deal coming -to me, and I have had some handsome presents since I have been here, -from people who have come to see the baby. I said nothing about it to -you in my letters, because I thought I should like to have a little -fund saved to give you a pleasant surprise. How thankful I am for it -now! Even if it should not be enough, I know Mrs. Griswold, who has -been most kind and generous to me, will help me, help me too in her -ladylike and considerate way, without asking me any distressing -questions. Besides, there is Nelly--Clara, I mean--she would help me -in a minute; but I would rather not ask her for any help of that kind, -but rather trust her to get you some employment in England.'</p> - -<p>'You're settling it all, Bess,' said Eph, shaking his head doubtfully, -but still with a lightening of his countenance and an additional -cheerfulness in his voice, which brought the consoling conviction to -his wife's mind that he was rapidly being swayed by her argument, and -seeing in her own she was tracing relief and a future. 'You're -settling it all very comfortably, and I believe you're right that it -is about the best thing I could do.'</p> - -<p>'It is the only thing!' said Bess emphatically.</p> - -<p>'I don't like leaving you behind,' he said; 'there's a big difference -between being parted as we are now, you in New York and I in Chicago, -and being parted as we should be then, you in New York and I Heaven -knows where, on the other side of the ferry; and I don't like it.'</p> - -<p>'I don't like it either,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'but it can't be -otherwise, Eph dear, just now. You and I have to turn over a new -leaf--you know you have promised me you will begin, and I believe -you--but it is likely to be hard work just at first, and we shall want -help from good friends. The best I have in the world, I feel quite -sure, is Mrs. Griswold, and I could not desert her in this great -trouble; first, for gratitude sake; secondly, for policy sake; and -thirdly, because if I ask her to help us I must be ready to say I am -prepared to help her. That is only fair, you know; but I will follow -you, Eph, before very long, before the little store of money I shall -be able to let you take with you is exhausted, even if you should not -have good luck. But I feel you will have good luck, and Nelly--Clara, -I mean--will be sure to be able to get something for you, even from -the very first; now that she has seen you, she will know that you -won't disgrace her recommendation.'</p> - -<p>A rapidly-suppressed smile at his wife's enthusiasm crossed Jenkins's -face. He did not absolutely believe that Miss Montressor had been -captivated by her brief interview with him; but he secretly thought it -by no means improbable that Miss Montressor would be glad to secure -herself from any ill-timed allusion on his part to his extraordinary -likeness to her very intimate friend Mr. Dolby, which might be -embarrassing on this side the Atlantic, by facilitating his passage to -the other; so that as his reflections on those Bess had reached the -same result, he did not think it necessary to descant upon the -divergence of their mental paths.</p> - -<p>The desperate intentness of his wife's representations was seconded by -Ephraim Jenkins's own conviction, and he became more and more serious -as she pointed out how it must be known that Warren was being -personated, since he was mixed up with the affairs of the Griswolds, -and had been sent for in this emergency. She impressed upon her -husband that his own danger of discovery could at best be delayed only -until, weary of getting no reply to their telegrams and letters, Mrs. -Griswold's friends should send some one to Chicago, and their -ambassador would instantly discover that Warren was not at that city. -This final representation had more effect upon him than any of her -foregoing arguments. It showed him that the bubble was close upon -bursting, and immediately won him to obedience to her wishes.</p> - -<p>After that their interview lasted only a few minutes. It was arranged -that he should start for Chicago that night, and immediately on his -arrival should telegraph, in reply to Mrs. Griswold's message, that -Warren was absent when it arrived; that he should then make immediate -preparations for his own departure, warning Warren by letter to London -of his determination, and come away, bringing all the business papers -with him for deposit at Warren's office. This done, he was again to -see his wife, receive from her the promised funds, and sail for -England within a week, leaving Warren forewarned as far as lay in his -power, but otherwise to get out of the Chicago scrape as well as he -could.</p> - -<p>It did not escape either Ephraim or his wife that there might be -danger, supposing Warren should have returned to New York, of Eph's -encountering him, which would have the double disadvantage of -involving Ephraim in either the abandonment of his project of escape, -or in a violent quarrel with his arbitrary brother. Mrs. Jenkins was -much more disturbed when this possibility occurred to her mind; but -recollecting that if Warren should be skulking about New York, he -would be quite certain to avoid either his own offices or the steamer -wharves, Eph would be safe from the risk of encounter, provided on his -return he went to only those two places.</p> - -<p>All this, and much more, having been hurriedly agreed upon between -them, the husband and wife parted most affectionately, and though with -much distress, with a dawning of hope in both hearts, and a conviction -on the part of Mrs. Jenkins that Ephraim had really and truly turned -over a new leaf.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_04" href="#div3Ref_04">CHAPTER IV.</a></h4> -<h5>ESCAPED.</h5> -<br> - -<p>A few minutes after Ephraim Jenkins had left the house, and before his -wife had checked her tears and resumed her composure sufficiently to -present herself before Helen, Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey arrived. -They were accompanied by two persons of grave exterior and formal -manner, with that peculiar stamp upon them which distinguishes the -police-officer, whether of Scotland-yard, or the Rue Jérusalem, or the -Tombs; calm men, lean and inscrutable, to whom the atmosphere of crime -and difficulty was air naturally breathed, and on which they throve in -a not jubilant, but nevertheless satisfactory, sort of way.</p> - -<p>'It gave me a dreadful turn, my dear,' said Mrs. Jenkins to Miss -Montressor, 'when they came in. I was just crossing the hall and going -up-stairs with baby, and I cannot tell you what a curious feeling it -was, and how glad I was my Ephraim was out of the house.'</p> - -<p>'Why, what on earth had your Ephraim been doing, that you should be -afraid of two police-officers?' said Miss Montressor, who was not -easily impressed by sentimental imaginations.</p> - -<p>'He hadn't been doing anything,' returned her sister rather -indignantly; 'but they had such an extraordinary manner about them, as -though everything in the place belonged to them, and after they came -in our souls were not our own, that I assure you I felt as if I had -been doing something that I might be taken up for, and every one of -the servants might have been stealing the plate, to judge by their -looks. As for Annette, she disappeared altogether. Mrs. Griswold -wanted her to find some keys for her, and I had to go up-stairs and -cause her to come out of her room, where she was double-locked in, as -if there were a warrant out for her.'</p> - -<p>'Silly French idiot!' said Miss Montressor parenthetically. 'I should -rather like to have a look at these police-officers. I have seen our -magistrates at home, you know, at least some of them--beaks, they call -them--remarkably jolly and good-natured men, I thought.'</p> - -<p>'Then, you see, you were not a prisoner, my dear,' said Mrs. Jenkins.</p> - -<p>'Well, no more are you, nor any other people in the house. What a -set of geese you all are!'</p> - -<p>'You're so strong-minded, Clara; and it is uncomfortable, and always -seems like bad luck somehow, when any of these people come about a -quiet, well-conducted house.'</p> - -<p>'Ah,' said Miss Montressor, with a very genuine sigh, 'the bad luck -has come in here before the police, not with them, and it will stay -after them. Poor creature, how is she?'</p> - -<p>'She received the gentlemen quite calm and quiet,' said Mrs. Jenkins; -'but of course I don't know anything, since I was only a minute in the -room.'</p> - -<p>This short dialogue took place in Helen's boudoir, whither Mrs. -Jenkins had gone to seek her sister after she had ushered Helen's -ominous visitors into her husband's library, where she was awaiting -them. Miss Montressor had by this time awakened from her nap, greatly -refreshed and reinvigorated, and was looking very dainty and -captivating; she had arranged her hair by the aid of a pocket-comb and -a pocket-mirror which invariably accompanied her, together with a -cunningly-devised little casket containing pearl-powder, to the use of -which, to say the truth, she was too much addicted off the stage; and -she was now perfectly prepared to undergo a whole set of new -sensations with regard to the Griswold murder, for in that familiar -phrase had the at-first-vague calamity ranged itself in the minds of -Miss Montressor and Bryan Duval.</p> - -<p>The interview between Helen Griswold, her two friends, and the police -officers lasted so long, that the grievous apprehension possessed Mrs. -Jenkins as to the effect which such sustained interrogation, with all -its horrors of assumption and actual pain, must produce on Helen's -enfeebled frame. To the acute and experienced eye of Mrs. Jenkins, who -had done a great deal in the way of nursing invalids in her time, and -who had that quick perception of illness natural to woman, however -uneducated, Helen's health had suffered much more severely under the -excruciating trial of the last three days than Thornton Carey or Bryan -Duval believed. In her very composure Mrs. Jenkins saw partly an -unnatural effort and partly physical exhaustion; she did not cry, or -scream, or throw herself about, or give way to any violent -demonstration of the suffering which was racking her, quite as much -because she was unable to do so, as because her good sense and her -resolution induced her to give as little trouble and inflict as little -distress upon the friends who were nobly endeavouring to aid her as -possible; but they perceived only one of these reasons for her -quietude.</p> - -<p>In voice, that most distinctive symptom, as well as in face, Helen -Griswold was changed; something was gone from both destined never to -return to them: the sweet clear <i>timbre</i> in the former, the roundlike -brightness in the latter. In after years Helen was a handsomer woman -than she had been in those days of honoured and happy matronhood, in -her splendid home with the husband who was so devoted to her; but the -beauty of these latter years was of a different cast from that in -which he had taken such delight and it indicated a mind matured and a -heart strengthened, both results reached by a process of untold -severity.</p> - -<p>That Helen would be very ill, so seriously ill that she would be -unable to think of anything except her bodily ailments for some time -after the immediate pressure of the actual business imposed upon her -by her calamity should have been removed, Mrs. Jenkins felt thoroughly -convinced, and therefore she was anxious that all the business which -could be got through to-day should be got through; and as the time -went on, and no sound of departing footsteps could be heard passing -the door from the boudoir, where she and Miss Montressor remained, she -was satisfied that they were going into all the matters connected with -Mr. Griswold's affairs within Helen's sphere of knowledge thoroughly -and at once.</p> - -<p>In this supposition Mrs. Jenkins was perfectly correct. It had been -agreed between Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey that all the information -which could possibly be extracted from Mrs. Griswold should be -acquired on the present occasion; so that, if possible, she should not -again be troubled with the distressing presence of the judicial side -of the dreadful occurrence, but left to the tranquillising effect of -time and quiet.</p> - -<p>So, when the four men were ushered into the presence of the young -widow, who received them in her husband's library, to enter which and -meddle with the papers to which she had never had, during his -lifetime, any access, gave her a pang of exceeding sharpness, they -found her, as Mrs. Jenkins had described her to her sister at an -earlier hour in the morning, very calm, but mortally pale.</p> - -<p>Throughout the whole of that prolonged interview, under all the forms -interrogative, retrospective, speculative, and narrative which it -assumed, no change fell upon Helen's face, no tinge of colour touched -its waxen paleness; she was perfectly collected, and her natural -quickness of apprehension was entirely unimpeded, but her eyes had a -fixed vagueness and lightness, produced by overwhelming fatigue and -the influence of opiate. Her mechanical, unexcited manner, and patient -waiting and submission to the question-and-answer mood adopted by her -interlocutors, assisted them materially, and caused them no little -astonishment. A woman who always gave the exact answer to the exact -question, and never required to have it asked twice, was a novelty in -their experience; and as the examination, including in it all the -circumstances which had preceded Alston Griswold's departure, -progressed, it was plain that unless they could find a clue in the -information which they were receiving from Mrs. Griswold, that clue -must be sought for in a totally different set and combination of -circumstances, for there could be no doubt of the retentiveness and -accuracy of her memory and the unembarrassed plainness of her -statement of facts.</p> - -<p>Copious notes were taken of her narrative of everything which had -occurred up to the eve of Alston Griswold's departure. She was closely -questioned as to his and her own social relations. Her statements on -that point were few and simple. She and her husband had a large -acquaintance but few friends, in the sense of habitual daily -intimates. It was not her taste to cultivate such, and Mr. Griswold, -though a man of very genial disposition, was almost as reserved and -home-loving as an Englishman; she could, in fact, indicate but one -intimacy on her husband's part of the nature and extent which the -questions put to her indicated--this intimacy existed in the person of -Trenton Warren.</p> - -<p>At this point in Helen's statement Thornton Carey informed her for the -first time of the steps that had been taken in order to procure -Trenton Warren's attendance at New York, and his intervention in the -efforts which they were making to obtain a clue to the perpetrators of -the crime.</p> - -<p>She had almost forgotten him, until the questions of the -police-officers respecting the daily habits and associates of her -husband had recalled him to her mind; the recollection arose even -while she was speaking of him, with a dreary wonder that a few days -ago a complication in her domestic history caused by him should have -seemed so serious, and have been struck into absolute nullity by the -undreaded calamity that had come to teach her how far facts might -outweigh fancies in terror and in pain. While the men were speaking to -her, asking her questions, to which she was giving almost mechanical -answers, her mind was busy with that interview between herself and -Trenton Warren, which now seemed hundreds of years old, and of -infinite unimportance; and she had suffered it to worry her, she had -thought about it and let it interfere with the frankness and -brightness of her very last communications with the husband who was -never to know a thought or word of hers more.</p> - -<p>How she hated her folly, but doubly she hated the man who had inspired -it! What did it matter now--what could it really have mattered then? -Had she not allowed a chimera to take possession of her mind, to -intervene between her and that full confidence, that full -acquiescence, in every wish of Alston's that was due to him? Then -Helen's good sense told her that she must not allow feelings of this -kind to intrude just at present; that she was not in a fit state to -disentangle the real from the imaginary, or to weigh with the -scrupulous exactitude which it deserved the influence that that -interview had had upon her recent life. Then she said simply, in reply -to Thornton Carey's communication with regard to the telegram, 'I -suppose he has arrived?'</p> - -<p>'No, he has not,' said Carey; 'and that forms one of the difficulties -in our way of proceeding just at present, besides constituting a very -vexatious delay in the information, which we hoped to have completed -by this time for transmission to Liverpool.'</p> - -<p>'Where is he, then?'</p> - -<p>'We don't know.'</p> - -<p>'In what terms did he answer the telegram?'</p> - -<p>'We have received no answer, and this puzzles us extremely.'</p> - -<p>'Would you mind telling me,' asked Helen, 'in what words you put your -message?'</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey took out his pocketbook, and read a memorandum of the -exact form of his despatch to Trenton Warren at Chicago.</p> - -<p>Helen repeated it slowly, and then said, 'I am not so surprised at -your receiving no answer. It is best, gentlemen, though this is a -matter which cannot possibly have any bearing upon the subject into -which you are inquiring, that I should tell you at once, in justice to -Mr. Warren, who would otherwise seem to have acted a strange part with -regard to so intimate a friend as my Alston, that he did not extend -his friendship to me, and that Mr. Warren and I are not at present on -good terms. I therefore think it very likely that your having sent the -message in my name has occasioned him to take no notice of it. He -would not associate it with Alston, because he is in direct -communication, as he believes, with him, whereas he knows that I have -not been; so he would naturally suppose that any news affecting him in -any way would have been transmitted direct to Chicago, and therefore -his mind would be quite easy with regard to anything which might have -occurred here.'</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval exchanged looks. They admired the -candour and the courage of this woman, who thus told a fact which -might naturally excite grave suspicions in the minds of the two -officers in her presence, grave suspicions of her own loyalty to her -dead husband, by the admission that, so far as this man's intimate -friendship was concerned, there had been a decided division of -interest between them.</p> - -<p>The police-officers also exchanged looks, and probably each understood -the meaning of that of the other--they were not identical with those -of the two gentlemen. In that moment Helen Griswold put the end of the -thread into the hands of Justice; the ball was a long way off and -hidden in some windings of the mass, but the way to it would be found -by that hint.</p> - -<p>'I think, gentlemen,' continued Helen, 'that if you believe Mr. -Warren's presence at New York to be indispensable to your arriving at -a true comprehension of my husband's affairs, you had better telegraph -to him again in the name of the police authorities.'</p> - -<p>The two men bowed acquiescence.</p> - -<p>'And tell him in the message quite distinctly what it is that has -occurred.'</p> - -<p>'Certainly, Helen,' said Thornton Carey; 'this shall be done at once. -If you had been able to hear that I had already telegraphed for -Warren, or that I had anticipated any delay in his reply, I would have -told you, and thus a great many hours would have been saved. If I -telegraph immediately, at what hour could he leave Chicago, do you -know?' he said, addressing one of the police-officers.</p> - -<p>'If he left to-night,' was the reply, 'we could not possibly see him -until Saturday morning. You must send your message at once, Mr. Carey, -and make it as pressing, conclusive, and indeed imperative, as may -be.'</p> - -<p>'That's a long and serious delay,' said Bryan Duval. 'At what hour on -Saturday does the steamer sail for England?'</p> - -<p>'It will be late next Saturday,' said Thornton; 'the tide doesn't -serve till five.'</p> - -<p>'Lots of time,' returned Bryan Duval cheerfully. 'We shall have Mr. -Warren here in the middle of Friday night, interview him on Saturday -morning, and send our man by the mail.'</p> - -<p>'Sharp practice, Mr. Duval,' said the police-officer who had spoken -before, 'but quite within possibility, provided Mr. Warren can put us -on the track so unerringly as it looks like.'</p> - -<p>'Then, as it is clear that nothing more can be settled at present,' -said Thornton Carey, rising from his seat and approaching Helen, whose -hand he took gently in his own, 'I think, dear Helen, we may now -release you. You have told us everything which you can tell; you have -given us all the papers which poor Alston left here. Your immediate -concern with our wretched business has come to an end; we will leave -you to rest and peace.'</p> - -<p>'Peace!' she interrupted, but her face was still unchanged, and no -tears came to refresh the dimness of her black eyes.</p> - -<p>Bryan Duval and the two police-officers rose.</p> - -<p>'Have you any further suggestion to make, madam?' asked the one who -had already spoken.</p> - -<p>'No,' she replied faintly.</p> - -<p>'Perhaps you will allow me to make one?' he continued.</p> - -<p>She bowed acquiescence.</p> - -<p>'Though your husband's letters from London have been, as you have -explained to us, entirely free from any allusion to business, they may -have contained indications which would escape your notice, but which -may be of much utility in our researches. Have you any objection to -confide them to us, in addition to the business papers you have -already given us?'</p> - -<p>A large packet tied up with red tape lay on the table by the speaker's -elbow.</p> - -<p>'I have not the slightest objection,' returned Helen. 'Every word he -wrote to me from England was, like himself, generous and affectionate, -and I cannot conceive that any such traces as you allude to exist in -them, but I will put neither my judgment nor my will against your -experience. Thornton, will you kindly ring for Annette?'</p> - -<p>In reply to the summons Annette made her appearance, with a scared -expression of countenance and a tight hold of her skirts. She glanced -askance and fearful at the harmless-looking gentlemen, who were -standing bolt upright in front of her mistress's chair, and received -in silence Mrs. Griswold's order to bring her a certain green-morocco -casket which stood upon the little shelf at her bedside.</p> - -<p>Silence was maintained during the few moments of Annette's absence.</p> - -<p>She presently returned, and placed the casket on the table before Mrs. -Griswold, who opened it and took out a large packet of letters, -carefully arranged according to the date of their receipt, and tied -with pink ribbon.</p> - -<p>'They are all there,' she said sadly, as she handed the packet to -Thornton Carey. 'I placed the last there on the day I expected to hear -from him again--I little thought that story was true.' Still her face -was unchanged and her eyes were tearless.</p> - -<p>The quick eye of the police-officer had seen another object lying at -the bottom of the box from which Mrs. Griswold had taken her husband's -letters. It was a prettily-bound and gilt manuscript-book, with a -lock, indorsed in gold letters, 'My Journal.'</p> - -<p>'I beg your pardon,' he said, advancing and laying his hand upon the -open box, as Helen stretched out hers for the purpose of closing it; -'may I ask if this journal is yours?'</p> - -<p>'It is,' she replied simply; 'it is my journal since the day of my -husband's departure, kept at his request, written up for transmission -to him by every mail, and copied into this book.'</p> - -<p>'Madam,' said the police-officer, 'I have a difficulty in expressing -the wish that you should confide this journal, not indeed to us, but -to your friends. The smallest and most unexpected particular of the -occurrences of your life and household at home may aid in this -investigation. We are at present all abroad, and we must neglect no -source of information within our reach. May I ask if you have recorded -visits made to you, letters received by you, and any reports or -impressions in any way connected with Mr. Griswold's business, of -which he unfortunately kept you in ignorance, which may have reached -you during his absence?'</p> - -<p>'I do not think so,' said Helen. 'I know it is very full of gossiping -and trivial things, as well as of the daily occupations of my life; -but such as it is, Mr. Carey and Mr. Bryan Duval are perfectly at -liberty to read it, and, indeed, you gentlemen also, should you think -it well to do so. I had but a simple story to tell, and I have told it -simply.'</p> - -<p>With the same gentleness, the same mechanical steadiness that had -marked her conduct throughout, Helen removed the manuscript-book from -the box, and handed it, not to Thornton Carey, but to Bryan Duval, who -received it from her hands in silence and with a bow. He was -infinitely touched by the whole scene, and by the almost solemn -simplicity of the young widow.</p> - -<p>As had been arranged on their way, the two police-officers now took -leave of Mrs. Griswold, Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval remaining with -her for a few minutes after their departure. On leaving her they were -to go direct to the telegraph-office, to send the despatch in the -terms agreed upon to Trenton Warren.</p> - -<p>'I fear you are extremely exhausted,' said Thornton Carey, when he and -Duval remained alone with Helen. 'This has been a most trying ordeal -for you; but I trust it will be the last.'</p> - -<p>'There will be no need for my seeing Mr. Warren, will there?' said -Helen, in a low voice, her face for the first time changing and -assuming an expression of deep distress and anxiety. 'O Thornton, keep -that from me if you can!'</p> - -<p>'I don't foresee that there will be any necessity at all for your -seeing him,' returned Thornton, 'if it is repugnant and unpleasant for -you to do so; and I need not say that we will make every effort to -extract such full information from him as to enable us to act without -any further reference either of him or ourselves to you. You know that -well, Helen, and therefore you will be prepared, in case we should -find it indispensable to bring him in contact with you, to acquiesce -in the necessity--will you not?'</p> - -<p>'Of course I will. I have only asked you to spare if possible, and "if -possible" means not at the expense of avenging my Alston. I will bear -anything for that purpose, and few things could be more painful to me -than an interview with Trenton Warren.'</p> - -<p>'I think I know why,' was Mr. Duval's comment upon her words and her -expression, spoken inwardly of course, and with the additional -reflection that he had known few stronger situations, with more to be -made out of them, than the present.</p> - -<p>'What are you going to do for the rest of the day?' said Thornton -Carey. 'Are you going to try to sleep?'</p> - -<p>'No,' she replied; 'I have had enough of unnatural sleep, and natural -sleep won't come to me just yet. I am going to see my child for a -while, as long as I can bear it, and Miss Montressor has been good -enough to promise to come to me.'</p> - -<p>'Clara is a good soul,' said Bryan Duval parenthetically and heartily. -'Is she here now?'</p> - -<p>'I think so,' said Mrs. Griswold. 'She promised Mrs. Jenkins that she -would come early, and I fear that she has been detained. Now that this -morning's work is over, you will not object, will you, Thornton,' she -said, raising her eyes to him with a look of dependence and -submission, from which he shrunk, so full was it of her helplessness -and her pain, 'that I should take to her who saw my Alston last? Do -you know, Mr. Duval,' she continued, turning to the actor, and -producing the same effect upon him by that infinitely pathetic look, -'I have been thinking that the very last person to whom he ever spoke -a friendly word must have been Miss Montressor or yourself--I wonder -which it was?'</p> - -<p>'I don't remember, my dear Mrs. Griswold,' said Bryan, 'but I have no -doubt she will; women have fine memories for these small points, which -sometimes are of so much importance in their world of feeling. I don't -doubt that you will find hers faultless, and I am sure no friend of -yours will object to your talking it out now with this kind creature, -who feels for you, as I can bear witness, more than I thought it was -in her to feel. You have been very good and wonderfully composed -hitherto, and I confess I should not be sorry to hear that you had -given way to your feelings, and that all this composure was broken up -for a while at least. So Carey and I will go and work for you and do -our very best, and you must try and put this part of it out of your -mind for the present, knowing that you will not be disturbed or called -upon again unless it is a very desperate necessity indeed, and Clara -Montressor shall come and talk to you about your husband, and go over -every word he said to her; and, if I remember her account of it right, -there were few of them that were not about yourself.' With these words -he raised her hand respectfully to his lips, turned on his heel and -left the room, buttoning his tight-fitting frock-coat over the flat -manuscript volume which she had confided to him.</p> - -<p>He had stood in the corridor little more than a minute when Thornton -Carey joined him. They went down-stairs and out of the house without -exchanging a word; but when they had reached the street, they fell -into close consultation, and walked away towards the telegraph station -arm in arm.</p> - -<p>From her long interview with Helen Griswold, which came to an end -barely in time to enable Miss Montressor to get back to the hotel for -dinner, that kind-hearted celebrity returned very deeply affected. The -simplicity of Helen's life and mind, the quiet and matter-of-course -devotion to her duties, and her great courage and submission in her -trouble, affected the actress strangely, giving her glimpses of -realities in life and heroism in character to be found in everyday -spheres and commonplace actions of which she had entertained no -previous conception.</p> - -<p>She and Bryan Duval had a long talk that night after the performance -at the Varieties about Helen Griswold. In the interval Bryan Duval had -peeped into the pages of the manuscript volume which she had confided -to him, but which, together with the letters written by Alston -Griswold to his wife during his residence in England, it had been -arranged was to be formally examined by himself and Thornton Carey on -the following day.</p> - -<p>Until the arrival of Trenton Warren this was all that could be done, -and neither Duval nor Carey cared to meet before the appointed time. -The delay was trying them a good deal, and though their expectations -of success in ultimately bringing the murderer to justice were not -affected by it, they both felt considerable weariness and strong -inclination to be alone. This did not, however, interfere with the -curiosity with which Bryan Duval heard Miss Montressor's account of -the hours which she had passed with Helen Griswold. Bryan Duval was -accustomed to reading between the lines; he had read between the lines -of Helen's innocent, unsophisticated, and perfectly sincere record of -her life under its past and its present aspects, and he had formed a -theory of her mind, conduct, and future singularly near the truth, -though he believed implicitly that she was entirely unconscious that -any such indications as he had extracted from it were contained in the -simple annals of her girlhood and her married life, which had been -continued in her journal literally up to the day of its unconscious -close.</p> - -<p>On this point he said not one word to Miss Montressor, nor did he then -confide to Thornton Carey even the last of his impressions of Helen's -journal when they came to discuss it. He bestowed many words of -good-humoured approval upon the actress for her womanly kindness and -sympathy with Mrs. Griswold, and when they parted, Miss Montressor -carried away with her a not unpleasant impression that Bryan Duval -entertained rather a higher opinion of her as an individual than he -had previously done; an impression which was perfectly well founded, -and had arisen quite as much to the surprise as to the pleasure of Mr. -Duval, who entertained but a low estimate of human nature in general, -and was much too philosophical to exclude the types with which he was -most familiar and most closely allied.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey had gone straight home after the despatch of the -telegram, which, as agreed upon, he had couched in most decisive words -and supported with the authority of emanation from the police -magnates. He strove hard to turn his mind away from the subject of his -grave preoccupation during the evening, reading resolutely on one of -his old lines of study, and resolved to rest his faculties thoroughly -in order to recommence his work upon the morrow with brightness and -efficiency.</p> - -<p>Most of the visitors to the hotel in which he was staying had -breakfasted before he came down to the dining-room, only a few almost -as belated as himself were finishing their meal. He stopped in the -hall as usual, and bought his morning supply of journalistic -literature, and having seated himself and called for his coffee, he -turned the pages of the <i>New York Herald</i> with but languid interest, -which, however, was changed into vehement excitement by the very first -announcement in the long list of latest intelligences which met his -eye, stated in the largest capitals, and with all the emblems which -indicate the record of a great disaster.</p> -<br> - -<p>Twenty minutes later, Thornton Carey was at Helen Griswold's door, -which was opened to him as usual by the faithful Jim, to whose -astonishment Mr. Carey addressed to him, instead of his ordinary -inquiry as to the condition of Mrs. Griswold, the abrupt question, -'Have any newspapers come today?'</p> - -<p>'They have come, sir,' said Jim; 'have got them here.'</p> - -<p>'Has Mrs. Griswold seen them?'</p> - -<p>'No, sir; no paper has been taken up to her room these two days. There -is no more news of Mr. Griswold, is there? They haven't caught those -villains?'</p> - -<p>'Good heavens, no; if they had I should want her to see the papers, -not to have them kept from her. Give me that one out of your hand, -Jim'--it was also a copy of the <i>Herald</i>--'and go up-stairs at once, -see if Mrs. Griswold is up, and say I beg her most particularly to see -me.'</p> - -<p>Jim obeyed with alacrity, and Thornton Carey followed him closely up -the long staircase, halting only in the corridor which led to Helen's -room. It was her voice that replied to Jim's knock, bidding him come -in, and he heard her say, in reply to the servant's inquiry, 'Mr. -Carey? I thought it was understood he would not require to see me -to-day. Something new must have happened. Show him in at once.'</p> - -<p>Helen met him almost at the door, and immediately accosted him. 'What -have you come to tell me, Thornton? Do not be afraid; my child is -saved,' she laid her hand upon the snow-white curtains of the bassinet -in which the infant was sleeping as she spoke, 'and my husband is -gone. Fate can hardly harm me sorely any more. Come in and tell me at -once.'</p> - -<p>Thornton followed her into the room, and noticed that Mrs. Jenkins was -busy at the dressing-table with some little matters of the child's -toilet. Helen had been up early, was fully dressed, and about to -breakfast in her dressing-room. She looked better than on the previous -day, and before Thornton answered her eager questions, he insisted -upon knowing what sort of night she had passed, and whether she had -taken a proper quantity of food.</p> - -<p>These questions he put to Mrs. Jenkins, who answered both -satisfactorily. 'Come, come,' said Helen, interrupting and -remonstrating, 'you have something to say. Again I ask you tell me at -once--what is it? Does Mr. Warren refuse to assist us, even when he is -not asked by me? Is he so false to his friendship with Alston, or does -he carry his resentment into refusing to aid in punishing his -murderer?'</p> - -<p>She seated herself on a small sofa by the fireplace, and pointed to -the chair near her, which Thornton Carey took. As they were now -placed, she faced the dressing-table at which Mrs. Jenkins was -engaged, the child's cradle was on her right hand, the chair occupied -by Thornton Carey on her left.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins paused slightly in her occupation, and asked, 'Shall I -leave the room?'</p> - -<p>'Certainly not,' replied Helen. 'I have no secrets from you.'</p> - -<p>'Pray do not go, Mrs. Jenkins,' said Thornton earnestly: he infinitely -dreaded the effect of the news he had come to tell Helen Griswold, and -eagerly caught at the chance of that efficient person's presence in. -case she should be quite overcome by it. 'The fact is, my dear Helen,' -he went on, glancing at Mrs. Jenkins, and by a stealthy gesture of his -hand drawing her attention to what he was about to say, and her -vigilance for Helen, 'an unexpected obstacle to our thorough -investigation of Griswold's affairs has arisen. It comes, as you have -divined so quickly, from Chicago.'</p> - -<p>At the mention of the word Mrs. Jenkins started irrepressibly, came a -step or two forward, holding some toilet article unconsciously in her -hand, and in evident undisguised suspense upon Thornton Carey's words.</p> - -<p>'The newspapers too,' he went on, 'contain intelligence of an accident -upon the railway between New York and Chicago. We had no reason to -suppose that Trenton Warren had left Chicago, or was either at New -York or in the vicinity at any time within several weeks, but it may -have been so, and his absence from Chicago would account otherwise -than as you accounted for it, for his having returned no answer to our -first telegram. Whatever may have been the cause, there is no doubt -that he was in the train to which this serious accident occurred last -night on his way from New York to Chicago. I regret to tell you that -the accident was a very serious one, and that among the list of -passengers killed is the name of Trenton Warren.</p> - -<p>'This is another blow for you, my dear Helen,' he continued, as she -sank back in her chair, and clasped her hands.</p> - -<p>But at that instant Mrs. Jenkins sprang towards him with a piercing -scream and crying out, 'No, no! for me--for me!' fell down senseless -at Helen's feet.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_05" href="#div3Ref_05">CHAPTER V.</a></h4> -<h5>A CLUE.</h5> -<br> - -<p>It was Thornton Carey who darted forward, and kneeling by Mrs. -Jenkins's prostrate form, endeavoured, in the helpless manner which -all men employ under similar circumstances, to restore animation by -raising her head and chafing her hands; for Helen, overcome by the -suddenness of the nurse's attack, at first sat motionless in her -chair. After a moment all her womanly readiness and sympathy returned -to her, and having summoned Annette to her aid, they lifted Mrs. -Jenkins on to an adjacent sofa and busied themselves in their work of -restoration. Not that the French waiting-maid was of much use as an -assistant; she seemed to think that the seizure of Mrs. Jenkins, on -whose clear-headedness and promptness of action the whole household -had been for the last few days reliant, was the climax to the family -misfortune; and she wrung her hands and beat her breast and <i>Mon -Dieu</i>'d in a manner which, under other circumstances, would have been -extremely irritating. But Helen was busily engaged in gently bathing -the sufferer's head with eau de Cologne, and paid no attention to the -waiting-maid's lamentations; while Thornton Carey, who had a keen -sense of delicacy, had retired to the window, where, while apparently -gazing with great interest into the street, he was drumming with his -fingers on the glass, and endeavouring to-arrive at an elucidation of -the scene which had just passed before his eyes.</p> - -<p>'For me--for me!' this strange woman had cried out just before she -sank upon the floor; her meaning, taken with the context of what had -passed before, being that the death of Trenton Warren, which had just -been announced, was as a blow, not to Helen, but to her. Who was she, -this mysterious woman, who had of late assumed so important a position -in the household, from whom, as Helen herself allowed, she had -received so much affectionate assistance, and in whom she seemed so -thoroughly to confide? She had even been, to a certain extent, -admitted into the secret of their hopes and fears and their method of -procedure in attempting to detect poor Alston's assassins; Helen had -vouched for her fidelity, and, notwithstanding the sympathy of all the -household, had declared that in this nurse alone could she place -reliance. What had been her antecedents? It was as likely as not that -Helen, in her trusting girlish way, had taken the woman without any -proper references, simply because her face or manner pleased her, and -had suffered herself to be beguiled by an assumed sympathy and a -smooth tongue. Who could the woman be, and what could be her motive -for introducing herself into that quiet home? That she knew Warren was -clear--she herself had made it clear by this recent betrayal of her -feelings. What could Trenton be to her that she should fall senseless -at the news of his death? In the position which Warren occupied with -regard to the murdered man, Helen's friends were more deeply -interested in him than in any other person in the world; and now he -was dead, and here was this woman, usually so calm and collected, -unable to refrain from showing signs of violent grief at the news. -Could it be possible--and Thornton Carey's cheeks tingled at the mere -thought--that this woman had been some former mistress of Warren's, -and that he had taken advantage of his intimacy with Griswold to -obtain for her a comfortable place in his friend's household? No. -Thornton Carey knew little of Warren, but all that he heard of him -went to contradict such an idea; a man so generally represented as -cold, impassive, and even more immersed in the accumulated cares of -business than Griswold himself; there must be some other explanation -of the mystery, but what it was Thornton Carey could not at the moment -attempt to define. He began to find himself wishing that he had -brought Bryan Duval with him to the house; for that gentleman's ready -acuteness had made a great impression on Thornton Carey's mind, and he -felt half inclined to start off at once and lay before his friend this -newest phase in the mystery which they were endeavouring jointly to -penetrate. It was absolutely necessary that some explanation should be -given, and he thought he would say as much to Helen, whom he saw -crossing the room to speak to him.</p> - -<p>'She's a little better now,' murmured Helen, as she approached; 'she -has regained her consciousness, but her heart is still beating wildly, -and she has once or twice made an effort to speak, though her physical -strength seems scarcely sufficient to admit of her doing so. What an -extremely sudden seizure, was it not?'</p> - -<p>'So sudden and so extraordinary, my dear Helen,' said Thornton Carey -impressively, 'that I am eagerly desirous of having it accounted for; -and even at the risk of somewhat tasking this woman's strength, I -shall ask her to explain it as soon as possible.'</p> - -<p>'You imagine, then, as I do,' said Helen, 'that it was her hearing the -news of the accident which has happened to Mr. Warren that caused her -to faint?'</p> - -<p>'That and nothing else,' said Carey bluntly. 'Had you any idea that -she was acquainted with Warren? Has she ever mentioned his name, or -referred to him in any way? More than that, can you recollect whether -she has ever shown any emotion when his name has been alluded to in -her presence?'</p> - -<p>'I had no idea that she was even aware of his existence,' said Helen. -'She came to me since poor Alston's departure, and in this house, at -least, I am certain she has never set eyes upon Mr. Warren.'</p> - -<p>'It is essential for the purposes of our investigation that we should -know exactly what her relations with Warren are or were; and under -your approval I purpose asking her a few questions.'</p> - -<p>'You will not be hard upon her, Thornton?' said Helen, looking up at -him. 'You will remember that the woman is poor and ill, and has -already suffered a good deal from the loss of her own child--you will -think of these things when you speak to her, I am sure?'</p> - -<p>'You may rely upon my discretion,' said Thornton Carey. 'I only want -to come at the truth, and I will evolve that in the gentlest manner -possible.'</p> - -<p>'Mrs. Jenkins is better,' said Annette, crossing the room from the -side of the couch where she had been standing, 'and would wish to -speak to madame.'</p> - -<p>'Now is your opportunity, Thornton,' whispered Helen to him. 'Come -with me.'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins, who had raised herself to a sitting posture on the -couch, was perfectly pale; there was a tremulous motion in her lips -and a nervous wandering of her hands, which showed that she had not -yet got over the recent shock; but she did her utmost to nerve herself -as Mrs. Griswold approached her, and her eyes, as they rested on her -benefactress, had a soft and imploring expression.</p> - -<p>'Annette tells me you are better, nurse, and that you want to speak to -me,' said Helen, laying a kind light touch upon the patient's arm. -'You, however, scarcely yet seem to be yourself, and if there is -anything in what you have to say calculated to excite you, perhaps it -would be better to defer it until you are a little stronger.'</p> - -<p>'What I have to say, dear madam,' said Mrs. Jenkins, in a low and -feeble voice, 'ought, in the interests of truth and justice, to be -told at once; the longer it is kept to myself the longer I shall feel -myself guilty of gross deception to you, who have been so kind and -good to me.'</p> - -<p>'Deception, nurse?'</p> - -<p>'Deception, I am afraid, it must be called, dear madam; not that I -have myself actually deceived you, or that I would allow anybody -connected with me to do so; but that certain things have been going on -in which you were to some extent interested with which I was -acquainted, and which I have kept from your knowledge.'</p> - -<p>'I am perfectly certain,' said Helen, in her calm sweet voice, 'that -you have knowingly done me no harm; I am perfectly certain, from the -attention and devotion which you have shown to me since you have been -in this house, that if you could have stood between me and harm's way, -you would have done so. If; however, there is anything on your mind -which it will render you easier to get rid of, if you think to clear -your conscience by telling us--for this gentleman, Mr. Carey, is -entirely in my confidence--anything which you think it behoves me to -know, speak at once.'</p> - -<p>'You are right in saying that there is nothing I would not do to -shield you from harm, dear madam,' said Mrs. Jenkins, touching Helen's -hand with her wan lips. 'The intrigue in which I was passively mixed -up was arranged before I entered your house, and it is only within the -last few minutes--when I fainted, in fact--it flashed upon me that the -affair could possibly have any connection with your present dreadful -sorrow.'</p> - -<p>At these words Thornton Carey started, and bent forward his head to -listen more attentively.</p> - -<p>'Well, when you first engaged me to come to you,' said Mrs. Jenkins, -'you took for granted that I was respectable all through, and I hadn't -courage enough to avow the truth. I ought to have said who and what my -husband was and where he was then living. I should, but that he--but -that I--but that there had been something against him. Not that he was -not loving and good to me, and always had been, understand that, but -he got into trouble when he was a young man, and the memory of that -seems to have stuck to him, and respectable people were consequently -unwilling to give him employment, and he was thus forced to do what he -could, often what he hated, to gain a bare subsistence.</p> - -<p>'The knowledge of this sin of his early youth,' she continued, 'was -not confined to me. I shared it with his only brother, a man exactly -resembling him in size, feature, and complexion, but who has risen in -the world, while my poor Ephraim has sunk, and who made use of the -knowledge of the cloud hanging over Ephraim's head to employ him as -his agent in all kinds of dirty work in which he did not choose -himself to appear. My husband was known as Ephraim Jenkins, but his -brother of whom I speak, who has wrought upon us all this woe, and -through whom indirectly, if all I believe is true, I am now a widow -indeed, is called Trenton Warren.'</p> - -<p>'Trenton Warren!' cried Carey.</p> - -<p>Helen said no word, but sat with her eyes distended and fixed upon the -speaker.</p> - -<p>'Trenton Warren,' repeated Mrs. Jenkins; 'the man whom you now suppose -to be dead, but who, I fear, has been left for the commission of still -further crime, being, as I know him to be, the wickedest man on the -face of the earth. Listen. Some months ago now, Trenton Warren sent -for Ephraim, my husband, who was always at his brother's beck and -call, and had to do whatever he was told; this time he was desired not -to go to his brother's office as usual, but to name some place where -Warren was not likely to be recognised. They met, and Warren developed -his scheme to Ephraim, not then or by word of mouth, but in a letter -of instructions which he handed to him, and told him to read -afterwards. The main point in these instructions was this. I have told -you that the two brothers were exactly alike, so much so that it was -impossible for those who knew them best to distinguish between them. I -don't suppose it had often been much noticed, for Trenton Warren was -always well-dressed, and my poor Ephraim was scarcely ever out of -rags; but Warren knew of the likeness, and admitted it, and determined -to use it to serve his purpose; and the main point of the instructions -was this: that Ephraim was to personate his brother; that he was to -have plenty of money and live like a gentleman, and, in fact, to pass -himself off as Trenton Warren down at Chicago.'</p> - -<p>'At Chicago!' cried Thornton Carey, springing up from his chair, Helen -still preserving a stony silence.</p> - -<p>'Stay,' said Mrs. Jenkins, lifting her hand in supplication; 'stay and -hear me out. It was wicked, I know, but what were we to do, we were -near starving then? And besides, Trenton Warren knew the hold that he -had over Ephraim, and would have exercised it had there been the -slightest attempt to thwart him. What his motive for this duplicity -may have been, I know not, except that, being a motive of Trenton -Warren's, it was sure to be a bad one.'</p> - -<p>'It was your husband, then, who was at Chicago, and not Trenton -Warren?' said Thornton Carey. 'The information which I received at his -office as to his being at Chicago was, then, false?'</p> - -<p>'As to his being at Chicago, certainly, said Mrs. Jenkins; for part of -the time at least he has been in England, and not in Chicago, for my -poor Ephraim told me so.'</p> - -<p>'In England!' cried Helen, speaking for the first time.</p> - -<p>'Yes, dear madam; my poor Ephraim was here yesterday; he had come up -from Chicago in great trouble, in consequence of not having heard from -his brother, and also fearing that the telegram which Mr. Carey -addressed to Mr. Warren was really meant for him, and imagining that I -was ill; and I had a long talk with him here in this very house; and I -told him that come what might he must break with this horrible -connection, and assert himself, and turn over a new leaf; and live -like an honest man in the future. He said, at first, it was -impossible; but I told him we should find friends to help us; above -all, you, my dear madam, who have been so kind to me. And then he -seemed to be convinced, and he told me he would do all I asked him, -and he left me with the intention of becoming a reformed man; and now -he is dead--for I am sure it was he who was killed on the railway, and -not Trenton Warren--he is dead, and I shall never see him more.'</p> - -<p>While Mrs. Jenkins was concluding this speech, Helen had been writing -with a pencil on a slip of paper. As the poor woman finished speaking -she burst into a flood of tears, and seemed so thoroughly overcome -that Helen judged it better that Thornton Carey should leave the room; -and Helen motioned him to do so. As he passed by her, she placed in -his hand the paper on which she had been writing. Immediately on -gaining the library he opened it, and read these words: 'As sure as -God is in heaven, Trenton Warren is the man who has murdered my -husband.'</p> -<br> - -<p>Thornton Carey read the paper, but made no comment on its contents. -His mind was too full to find any utterance just then; he too, as he -had listened to Mrs. Jenkins's narrative, had become impressed with -the idea that Trenton Warren might in some way be mixed up with the -terrible matter to the discovery of which he had pledged himself. But -he was a man; and one, moreover, with a calm judicial mind, accustomed -to weigh matters with deliberation, and not to leap hastily at -conclusions. He passed out of the room, and out of the house; he -thought it better not to allow himself the chance of any farther -discussion of the subject with Helen until he had fully thought it out -by himself. That was Thornton Carey's great secret of work; he held -that there was no problem so knotty that it could not finally be -'thought out' if due time were given to the process. Education and -circumstances had made him self-reliant; and he believed that in most -instances more could be done by his own unaided wits, when duly -applied to the solution of a difficulty, than by a discussion with -others, in which the proposition of various schemes would tend to -divert the mind from the due consideration of any explanation, no -matter how striking or original.</p> - -<p>Out of the house he went, then, and on descending the stoop, instead -of going down town as usual, he turned sharply to his left, and walked -away up Fifth-avenue at a swinging pace. Just at that time of day the -avenue was alive with people, some in search of pleasure, some in -search of health, who had come out to enjoy the soft mild weather, and -on foot and on horseback, in buggies, coupés, and open carriages were -making their way to Central Park. Scarcely one of these persons but -was attracted by the tall slight figure of the young man, who hurried -along with seven-league stride among them, but not of them, evidently -enwrapt in his own cogitation. The valetudinarians envied his free -step and the ease with which he carried himself; the pleasure-seekers -made their little jokes to each other about him as a philosopher, a -student, an eccentric, perhaps a madman. Thornton Carey heard none of -their remarks, and if he had, he would not have heeded them. He did -not see the people who whirled by him in carriages; he was scarcely -aware of the presence of those whose coat-sleeves he brushed in his -onward flight. While the human hive was still buzzing around him, he -could not give himself up to the luxury of untrammelled thought; with -all this whirling of wheels and clacking of horses' hoofs sounding in -his ears, he could not concentrate his mind upon working out the -problem which he had set himself. When once he found himself within -the limits of the Central Park, he turned rapidly out of the -fashionable promenade, and striking across a green expanse, dived into -a shrubbery, the narrow path through which was entirely deserted; and -there, unseen and alone, Thornton Carey, walking up and down, -commenced his self-appointed task of 'thinking it out.'</p> - -<p>Could it be possible, in the exercise of that woman's instinct which, -without any possibility of explanation, without any apparent rhyme or -reason, is so often exactly correct, that Helen Griswold had hit upon -the truth when she stated that Trenton Warren was the murderer of her -husband? He, Thornton Carey, must allow that some faint suspicion had -been engendered in his mind as Mrs. Jenkins's narrative proceeded; but -now was the time for him to sift and winnow the evidence which it -contained, and to come to his own straightforward conclusion. In the -first place, was the woman speaking the truth? He thought that might -be clearly answered in the affirmative. She was under obligations to -Helen, of whom she professed to be very fond, to whom indeed she had -previously shown a certain amount of fidelity and devotion, and there -was an air of veracity about her which, to him, was convincing. The -facts which she narrated she had received from her husband; and then -the question arose, was he to be believed? This was plainly a very -different matter. According to his wife's own showing, he had been -early in life mixed up in some dishonest transactions, the memory of -which clung to him in after years, and prevented his getting -respectable employment. Would not such a man, tabooed, disgraced, kept -down by his own brother, in order that he might use him for an -instrument in his dirty work--would not such a man be likely to tell -lies for his own advantage? Granted; but what advantage had he in this -instance? He and his wife were one; she was his confidante; she knew -the power which his brother held over him; why then should he attempt -to deceive her in the way in which that power was exercised? No; upon -a clear review of all the circumstances, Thornton Carey was compelled -to admit that the story told by Mrs. Jenkins was probably true, and -that while Jenkins was personating him at Chicago, Trenton Warren had -gone to London.</p> - -<p>He would have been in England, then, at the time of the murder: so -far, that was in favour of Helen's hypothesis. It agreed, too, with -the idea proclaimed with so much earnestness by Bryan Duval, that the -necessity for the crime had originated in New York and not in England. -The question of motive was, however, above all others, the one which -would require to be clearly and calmly examined, and Bryan Duval, with -his leanings towards the picturesque and the dramatic, was, Thornton -Carey thought, hardly the man to decide upon it. If Warren had taken -advantage of the confidence reposed in him by Alston Griswold to -pillage his friend to any considerable extent, if he, on his own -account, had been engaged in any schemes or speculations in direct -opposition to those in which he was ostensibly in partnership with -Griswold, then there would have been some slight reason, some shadow -of pretext for imagining that it would have been to his advantage to -silence his friend and prevent his own exposure. But that Warren, a -business man, and not a bravo, would risk the vast penalty accruing to -the crime of murder for the sake of accomplishing such a result--a -phase of civilisation by no means uncommon in New York commercial -circles--was what Thornton Carey could not and would not believe. -Still the mystery of Warren's being in London at the time when even -those in his employ believed him to be in Chicago, and the fact of his -having induced his brother to personate him in the latter place, in -order to throw all inquiries off the scent, was so suspicious, that -Carey deemed it right at once to make Bryan Duval acquainted with Mrs. -Jenkins's story, and with the result of his deliberations thereon. So -he came out of the shrubbery far less eager and impetuous than he had -entered it, and walked down at a quiet pace to the Fifth-avenue Hotel.</p> - -<p>On entering Mr. Duval's room, he found that gentleman lying at full -length upon the sofa, wrapped in a gorgeous blue-silk dressing-gown -faced with red, and his feet encased in Turkish slippers. It was Mr. -Duval's habit to indulge in an hour's siesta before going down to his -theatrical duties, and Thornton Carey was afraid that he had -interrupted the popular favourite while thus refreshing himself; but -Mr. Duval, hearing the door open, raised his head, and seeing who was -there, called to his friend to come in.</p> - -<p>'Sit down,' he said, 'and smoke a quiet cigar. I was not asleep; I -have been reading that diary of poor Mrs. Griswold's all day, and I -had just laid it down and shut my eyes to reflect upon two or three -points which struck me as curious. I find,' continued Mr. Duval, -slightly stretching himself, 'that to close the eyes conduces very -much to reflection, and is occasionally anything but disagreeable.'</p> - -<p>'I have been engaged nearly all day in consideration of the same -subject,' said Carey, 'and I came to see if you had a few moments to -devote to its discussion with me.'</p> - -<p>'A few moments, my dear fellow!' said Bryan, raising himself up on his -elbow to look at the clock, 'a couple of hours! The enlightened -citizens of this great republic do not expect to see their cultivated -entertainer before nearly eight o'clock--it is now little more than -five--so that I shall have ample time to hear you talk, to interpose -maybe a few humble suggestions, and to get down to the theatre with -the greatest ease. Proceed now; I am all attention.'</p> - -<p>Thus encouraged, Thornton Carey began the narration of the day's -experiences. When he began to describe his arrival at Mrs. Griswold's, -it was obvious to him that the great actor, notwithstanding his -professions of interest, was scarcely so attentive, or indeed so wide -awake, as he might have been; he kept up indeed a continuous refrain -of 'Hum!' and 'Ah!' and 'Dear me!' but his eyes were closed, perhaps -for the advantage of deeper thinking, his lower jaw relapsed, and a -soothing sound issued from his nose. When, however, Thornton came to -relate the accident which had happened to the train, and the death of -the supposed Trenton Warren, his companion roused in an instant. As he -proceeded to describe the terror which had seized Mrs. Jenkins, the -exclamation which she had uttered, and the fainting fit which had -ensued, Bryan's interest grew more and more intense. He sat upright -upon the sofa, leaning eagerly forward and drinking in every word; and -at length, when Thornton Carey had come to the end of Mrs. Jenkins's -confession, and had revealed the message which Helen had given him on -the slip of paper, to the effect that Trenton Warren was the murderer -of her husband, Bryan Duval brought his hand down heavily on the -table, and cried in a hoarse voice, 'By God, she's right!'</p> - -<p>'You think so?' said Thornton Carey. 'All the time the woman was -speaking I was haunted by an idea that such might be the case, and -when I read Mrs. Griswold's avowal of her strong impression I was -almost convinced; but I have been walking about in the Central Park -ever since, arguing the question out with myself, and I am fain to -confess that I am now strongly sceptical about it.'</p> - -<p>'For what reason?' asked Duval.</p> - -<p>'The absence of motive,' said Thornton Carey. 'Suppose Trenton Warren -had taken advantage of the confidence reposed in him by Griswold, had -used his knowledge of and power over their joint business affairs -heavily to pillage his friend, he had opportunities during Griswold's -absence of twisting accounts and destroying evidence, and would never -have gone to the extent of murder for the sake of concealing his -dishonesty.'</p> - -<p>'You are right,' said Bryan Duval. 'From all I have heard of Mr. -Warren, he would know far too much for that; but even he is human, I -suppose, and I think I can supply another motive by which most of us -are liable to be actuated, and which in this instance, if I am right, -has been all-powerful.'</p> - -<p>'And what is that?' asked Carey.</p> - -<p>'Combination of offended vanity and a desire for vengeance,' said -Bryan. 'When you came in, I told you that during the day I had been -engaged in reading Mrs. Griswold's journal, and that I had laid myself -down on the sofa the better to reflect over certain passages which had -struck me. This was the case just now, though you thought I was going -to sleep. Up to the time of your arrival I had not discovered the -meaning of those passages, but what you have said has given me the -clue.'</p> - -<p>'You think so?' asked Carey.</p> - -<p>'I am sure of it,' said Bryan Duval. 'But you shall judge for -yourself. I have read this diary through with the greatest attention, -and have marked certain portions of it for reference. It seems that it -was commenced at Alston Griswold's request; he intended that it should -be a record of all the events of her daily life, and should be sent to -him from time to time in lieu of ordinary letters. And that,' said Mr. -Duval, looking up, 'shows what a strange fellow he was and what -confidence he had in his wife. The idea of expecting any woman to tell -you all that she has been doing, much more all that she has been -thinking! Mrs. Griswold seems to have been a kind of pattern wife, for -there is certainly no one else of my acquaintance whom I should have -thought capable of strictly following such a behest.'</p> - -<p>'Mrs. Griswold,' said Carey, 'would obey her husband to the letter.'</p> - -<p>'Exactly,' said Duval. 'Now let us get back to the journal. You will -observe in this first marked passage that her idea of writing a -journal is that he may "follow her life from day to day, through all -the familiar hours of it, so that he may cheat himself out of the idea -of separation," and a little farther on she writes: "So I begin it -thus, in an irregular and unskilful fashion, no doubt, but with the -utmost sincerity of intention to write in it everything which can -interest him." I have read these passages to you to show how simple -and single-minded the woman was when she commenced her task; how fully -she intended that every thought of her heart, every prompting impulse -should be laid bare to the loved one far away. I will read you farther -passages now, which will show you how the idea had to be given up; how -certain experiences in her life were written indeed, but not for -submission to her husband's eye; and how the entries for his perusal -are mere domestic details about the baby, the nurse, and the doctor, -omitting any reference to the one great event in her life which had -happened since her husband's departure.'</p> - -<p>'Do you mean to say that this book shows any duplicity of Mrs. -Griswold's?' asked Carey earnestly.</p> - -<p>'Not the least in the world,' said Bryan Duval. 'God forbid for an -instant that I should be supposed to hint such a thing of so estimable -a lady. It was out of love and regard for her husband that she had to -keep back certain facts from his knowledge, as you shall now hear. My -next quotation, as you will see, is taken later in the book.</p> - -<p>"With all the relief which the absence of Alston's friend has given -me, there is a great pang of pain for Alston himself, and a horrid -sense of a barrier of concealment between us."'</p> - -<p>'She alludes here to Alston's friend. You see farther on she speaks -more plainly:</p> - -<p>"I have allowed so many days to elapse before I force myself into -commencing this self-communing, in sheer uncertainty of what my line -of duty is; and though I am now tolerably clearly convinced that -neither now nor ever must I reveal to Alston what has passed, the -conviction invests my task of writing to him with great pain and -difficulty. Somehow we seem to be doubly parted; first by distance, -then by a secret. How shall I bear to see him take up his relations -with Warren just where he dropped them, and to know, as I do know, how -his confidence is betrayed?"</p> - -<p>'There you see for the first time comes out the man! There is then a -passage to say she does not think that Warren has been false to her -husband in their business relations; but mark the next passage:</p> - -<p>"It would do my husband such harm in every way to know what has -occurred; his own frankness and loyalty of nature could hardly -withstand so great a shock; the world would be changed for him. No, he -shall never know it; I will trust to the chapter of accidents, or -rather, I should say, to the beneficence of Providence, to preserve us -harmless from his false friend."'</p> - -<p>'Good God!' cried Carey, starting up, 'this scoundrel must have made -love to Helen! Is not that how you interpret it?'</p> - -<p>'Exactly,' said Bryan Duval; 'and immediately after Griswold's -departure; but he must have met his match in Mrs. Griswold. By the -context, it would seem that she must have insisted upon his never -setting foot in her house again, and that he thereupon agreed to go, -as he told her, to Chicago, as this passage would seem to insinuate:</p> - -<p>"How cleverly, how skilfully this man has carried out this sudden and -complete change of all his plans; how reasonably he seems to have -accounted for leaving New York; no one seems surprised, and I am quite -certain not the slightest shade of suspicion that his departure is of -any consequence to me has presented itself to the mind of any of our -common acquaintance, though the close tie between him and Alston is -perfectly well known."'</p> - -<p>'The existence of that tie between them would have called public -attention to the fact that there was no intimacy between Warren and -his partner's wife, no acquaintance even, it would be imagined, if he -was forbidden calling at the house; and it was no doubt this that -suggested to him the advisability of going to Chicago.'</p> - -<p>'Probably,' said Duval. 'By the way, if we had had any doubt as to -whether this ruffian had dared to pay his addresses to Mrs. Griswold, -we should find it solved in this passage:</p> - -<p>"I believe the love of a man like Warren is half passion, half hatred, -and that the hatred swallows up the passion when it is effectually -checked. Whence that notion has come to me I know not; but it has -come, and with it a fear of this man's hatred, greater, if possible, -than my horror of his love."'</p> - -<p>'There is no doubt of it now,' said Thornton Carey, rising and pacing -the room with set teeth and clenched hands, 'nor have I a doubt that -he murdered poor Alston. He is doubly a villain, and I have a double -motive for revenge.'</p> - -<p>'What is to be done we will consult farther to-morrow morning,' said -Duval. 'I must be off to the theatre now; but I entirely agree with -all you say.'</p> - -<p>At this moment a boy brought a note to Thornton Carey, which he opened -and read.</p> - -<p>'It is from Mrs. Griswold,' he said. 'That poor woman, the nurse, has -been to the scene of the accident, and recognised the dead body, -supposed to be that of Trenton Warren, as her husband.'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_06" href="#div3Ref_06">CHAPTER VI.</a></h4> -<h5>HARKING-BACK.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The evening papers had full details of the accident, which were -eagerly discussed and speculated upon; Trenton Warren was a man of -such mark in New York society, that the news of his death created more -than an average amount of interest. Not that the news that he was dead -was received without question; Warren was considered far too smart a -man to allow himself to be gotten rid of in any unexpected manner; and -while one set of his friends maintained that some swindler had -endeavoured with dishonest intent to personate the great speculator, -others averred that it was merely a case of accidental though -extraordinary resemblance; while the third party, consisting of those -who had found themselves mixed up in opposition schemes, believed that -Warren was really dead, and that Providence had thus rid them of a -dangerous enemy.</p> - -<p>The next morning, Bryan Duval, attired in the gorgeous dressing-gown, -was sipping his coffee, when Thornton Carey, with somewhat of a worn -look on his usually bright face, entered the room.</p> - -<p>'You will think me an unconscionable bore,' he said, 'but I am so -haunted by this painful subject that I can think of nothing else, and -I have only you to turn to for assistance and advice.'</p> - -<p>'My dear sir,' replied Bryan Duval, looking up at him from under his -very effective eyebrows, 'you cannot do me a greater favour than to -interest me in the great drama of life; a study which has for me the -strongest and purest charm; a study the results of which I endeavour -to make manifest in those works which the public on both sides of the -Atlantic is pleased to approve of. Have you any farther news--you look -pale and anxious, my dear sir, as though you had been worried by some -farther complication?'</p> - -<p>'I have no farther news, and there are no farther complications that I -know of,' replied Carey, 'and my paleness is probably occasioned by the -fact of my having laid awake nearly all night thinking over those -which already existed. That woman's confession yesterday, and the -information which we received from the perusal of Mrs. Griswold's -diary, prove to me incontestably that Helen is right in fixing the -suspicion of her husband's murder on Warren by supplying the motive -for his crime.'</p> - -<p>'I am entirely of your opinion,' said Bryan. 'The scoundrel had made -love to Mrs. Griswold, and, afraid that she would communicate his -baseness to her husband on his return, made away with him; the -incident is not at all unnatural, or rather I should say is perfectly -dramatic. I have used it more than once in the course of my career, -and never knew it fail to bring down the house.'</p> - -<p>'I guess we shall find that he was influenced by other motives as -well,' said Carey. 'After I left you last night, I went carefully -through a portion of Griswold's papers, and by what I could glean from -them, I have little doubt that the poor fellow has been mercilessly -robbed by his trusted friend. It would be most important if we could -learn fuller particulars of Griswold's method of life while in -England; you have furnished us with most valuable information, but of -course yours was but a casual acquaintance with him. If we could only -get at some of those who were there mixed up with him in his business -transactions, it might materially assist us.'</p> - -<p>'I have been thinking of that also,' said Bryan Duval, 'and it appears -to me that our first step should be to try and find out what has -become of a certain Mr. Dolby, an American gentleman whom you may or -may not have heard mentioned by Miss Montressor. He was in England -immediately before the day of the murder, but I think spoke of -returning to America very soon.'</p> - -<p>'There would be no difficulty in ascertaining his whereabouts, I -should imagine,' said Carey, 'from Miss Montressor herself.'</p> - -<p>'Well,' said Bryan Duval, speaking slowly, 'that is a matter in which -we must proceed with a good deal of delicacy. There were, I imagine, -certain relations between Mr. Dolby and our dear friend Clara which -you, in your virtuous and secluded life, my dear sir, probably know -very little about, which nevertheless do exist in this wicked world, -and, so far as my experience goes, have great weight in the conduct of -its affairs. This being the case, in conversation with Miss Montressor -we must handle the subject very gingerly; for Clara, though a flirt -and a coquette, is thoroughly staunch and loyal, and nothing could -induce her to betray her friend.'</p> - -<p>'To betray him?' said Carey.</p> - -<p>'I use the word advisedly,' said Bryan. 'I have certain reasons in my -own mind concerning Mr. Dolby, and if they are correct--However, we -will go and see Miss Montressor, and you may leave the manipulation of -the subject to me. You will at once see the key-note I strike, and -then you can join in in the same strain.'</p> - -<p>They found Miss Montressor in one of the drawing-rooms, and happily -found her alone. She was standing at the window, looking down on -the gay crowd thronging Union-square, and reflecting with much -self-complacency that to most members of that crowd her name was -known, and that to many she was an object of admiration. How lucky it -was, she thought, that Bryan Duval's attention had been directed -towards her, and that she had come out to America, instead of wearing -away her life in the dull level of London theatricals! Now the success -which she had made in New York would be recognised in London (she had -taken care to have all her best notices regularly inserted in the -great London theatrical journal, the <i>Haresfoot</i>), and on her return -she would take up an undeniably leading position, and defy all the -intriguing efforts of Patty Calvert or Theresa Columbus for supremacy.</p> - -<p>In the midst of this agreeable reverie she felt a light touch on her -elbow, and on looking round she saw Thornton Carey and Bryan Duval -close by her side.</p> - -<p>'We want you to give us ten minutes' talk, my dear Clara,' said the -latter, leading her to a chair, while he and his friend seated -themselves close by her; 'we want a little information from you to -assist us in getting up evidence in this police investigation, which, -as you know, is now being made.'</p> - -<p>'Still upon that dreadful subject,' said Miss Montressor with a sigh, -but really delighted to be made of some importance; she had been long -enough with Bryan Duval to perceive the advantages of extensive -advertisements, no matter in what way--'still upon that dreadful -subject of poor Mr. Griswold's murder?'</p> - -<p>'Still,' said Bryan. 'You see the poor fellow talked more freely with -you than any one else, and as his life in England is a blank to the -police, they want to hear as much about it as possible. It is very -important that they should know with whom he associated while in -London, and I want you to tell us whether he ever named to you any -American friends whom he had ever met over there.'</p> - -<p>'Never,' said Miss Montressor, 'save when talking about his wife and -his home-life. He was what may be called a reserved man, and I never -heard him mention the names of any friends either in America or -England.'</p> - -<p>'Of course,' said Bryan Duval, who had been playing with his -watch-chain, but as he put the question raised his keen eyes and -looked her steadily in the face--'of course Griswold, or Foster as he -called himself, was well acquainted with your friend Mr. Dolby?'</p> - -<p>'O dear no,' said Miss Montressor promptly; 'Mr. Dolby particularly -avoided him.'</p> - -<p>'Avoided him!' cried Carey.</p> - -<p>'Not merely that; but desired me never to mention his name to Mr. -Foster, or indeed to any American. He said that his business interests -required that his presence in England should not be known.'</p> - -<p>The two men exchanged glances.</p> - -<p>'It would be of the utmost service to us in this painful business,' -said Bryan Duval to Miss Montressor, 'if we could be placed in -communication with Mr. Dolby. Your own intelligence, which I have -never hitherto known to be at fault, my dear Clara,' he added -gallantly, 'and which has come out very strong and clear indeed all -through these investigations, will show you at once that we must not -let any circumstance, however apparently trivial, slip, or any -indication, however faint, escape us.'</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor, whose ready appreciation of a compliment was not to -be influenced by any external circumstances, however serious, replied -at once that she thoroughly understood that point in the case, and -assuming a becoming gravity of demeanour, offered herself for -cross-examination concerning Mr. Dolby. She made, however, one mental -reservation, on which she resolved she would act with unflinching -determination; it was that she would not betray, in the course of that -cross-examination, however tortuous and severe it might be, the secret -of her former relations with Mr. Dolby. And as she made this mental -reservation, Bryan Duval knew she was making it, and did <i>not</i> smile -at her simplicity in supposing he was likely to put any question to -her of the kind. For though Bryan Duval had no personal acquaintance -with Mr. Dolby, he knew all about Miss Montressor, and could have -astonished that lady not a little if he had thought proper to treat -her to a biographical sketch of herself. The same thing might have -been said of a good many persons in Miss Montressor's profession; they -would have been considerably surprised if he had revealed to them his -intimate acquaintance with their history.</p> - -<p>Miss Montressor accordingly gave a somewhat garbled and embellished -account of her relations with Mr. Dolby, and though Bryan could -plainly see that Thornton Carey was more puzzled than enlightened by -her story, and that he was very anxious to get her to be more explicit -and direct, he checked him in every attempt to give expression to such -puzzlement and anxiety by a series of looks which said, 'Leave her to -me, I know how to manage her,' much too plainly for contradiction. -Bryan Duval had early in their acquaintance impressed Thornton, as he -impressed everybody, with a sense of his great and versatile ability, -but equally with a sense that he liked to do things exactly his own -way, and had an unmistakable conviction that that way was the best. So -when Miss Montressor rambled, and Bryan Duval merely beamed upon her, -Carey submitted, and was presently rewarded by a peculiarly -intelligent glance from the actor, who was playing so admirably the -unaccustomed part of examining counsel, which unmistakably bespoke -Carey's vigilant attention, and indicated his own belief that a point -was being made. And yet Miss Montressor had only said:</p> - -<p>'I don't think Mr. Dolby was at all a sociable sort of person; he -never seemed to care about going anywhere, and he had a most special -dislike to being introduced to strangers.'</p> - -<p>'And that was the reason why you never extended the advantage and -pleasure of his acquaintance to me, eh, Clara?' asked Duval slyly; and -it was at this point of the interrogatory that he gave to Thornton -Carey the before-mentioned intelligent look. 'That was all right, of -course, as he was such a morose fellow, and you could not help -yourself--otherwise, your new friends ought to have been made known to -your old.'</p> - -<p>'Ah, but you weren't such an old friend then as you are now!' said Miss -Montressor ingenuously; 'and I am quite sure he would have objected -most strenuously to my having introduced him to you.'</p> - -<p>'Indeed! and why? Why should the general taboo have been made -particular in the case of your most devoted? Was Mr. Dolby of a -jealous turn?'</p> - -<p>'Nonsense!' said Miss Montressor, becoming very much confused on -finding that she was entangling herself in her explanation. 'How can -you ask such foolish questions? Of course not; but he had some strong -objection to be acquainted with actors.'</p> - -<p>'Not extending to actresses, eh?' said Duval, whose care it now was to -get her to commit and confuse herself as much as possible.</p> - -<p>'Don't be absurd, and do let me go on, if you want me to tell you -anything. I was going to say he had some peculiar objection to be -acquainted with actors, because he thought they would be injurious to -the serious and solid business connection he wanted to form in London. -He never told me what his business was, and I'm sure I never wanted to -know. All business is a bore until it comes to spending the money, and -I hate hearing about it; so I never bothered him on that score. He -once told me that as Mr. Foster was also a man of business, he might -be possibly mixed up with some transactions which would clash with his -own.'</p> - -<p>'Did he say that?' asked Thornton Carey eagerly.</p> - -<p>'Certainly,' said Miss Montressor; 'I recollect the expression.'</p> - -<p>'Now, Clara, pull your wits together, and answer this question -clearly--Did Mr. Dolby ever allude in any way to Foster's wife?'</p> - -<p>'Only in this way. At this same interview he asked me if Mr. Foster -were married; and when I told him "yes," and that he was always raving -about his wife, Dolby sneered, and said he hated men who aired their -domestic affairs before the world.'</p> - -<p>'Was that the last time you saw him?'</p> - -<p>'The very last. He took the precaution of calling himself Dolby when -he came to see me,'. continued Miss Montressor, floundering more and -more: of which fact Bryan Duval looked, this time, profoundly -unconscious.</p> - -<p>'The precaution!' he repeated; 'why the precaution? Was not Dolby his -real name?'</p> - -<p>'I really cannot tell you--I only know it was not the name he went by -in society, at his lodgings and so forth, for there he was known as -Mr. Dunn.'</p> - -<p>'Did he tell you so?'</p> - -<p>'Ye-yes, he did. I had occasion to write to him a few times, just a -trifling note now and then, and he told me I must not address him as -Mr. Dolby, but as Mr. Dunn.'</p> - -<p>Duval and Carey exchanged glances, and now listened to and watched her -with the deepest attention. This piece of information was of the -utmost importance, as pointing to something at least equivocal in the -character and position of the man who bore so strange a resemblance to -that other man whose fate was interwoven with that of Helen Griswold's -murdered husband.</p> - -<p>'Did, you not think that rather odd?'</p> - -<p>'Well, no, I didn't. I suppose I am too, much accustomed to people -having more names than one to think it at all remarkable. But I quite -understood him that he was obliged to be very careful, because he was -mixed up in business with a lot of puritans, who would be sure to -think he was neglecting his work and going to the bad if they ever -found out that he amused himself like other people. And that was one -reason, I think, why he was so particularly anxious not to be brought -in contact with Mr. Foster, because he would be sure to meet him under -another name, and it would be suspicious and unpleasant.'</p> - -<p>'You are quite clear that he was especially desirous that Mr. Foster -should not know anything about him?'</p> - -<p>'I am perfectly clear on that point;' and Miss Montressor's vivid -memory recalled every particular of the last interview between herself -and Mr. Dolby, shaking her head the while with an emphasis -confirmatory of her words.</p> - -<p>'That is an exceedingly important point,' said Bryan Duval, 'because -you see, my dear Clara, it is plain that Mr. Dolby must have known -something previously concerning Mr. Foster and the nature and purport -of his business in London, otherwise he would not have so regarded the -probabilities of their meeting as to make it indispensable that he -should keep out of his way when passing as Mr. Dolby; and it is just -this presumable knowledge of poor Griswold's business that makes Mr. -Dolby of so much importance to us in the unravelling of this story, -since we cannot get hold of any one who really does know enough about -it to be able to suggest a possible motive for his murder.'</p> - -<p>'I quite understand all that,' replied Miss Montressor, 'and I have -told you everything that can possibly throw any light upon it. Stay, -there's just one thing more. I called at his lodgings in Queen-street, -Mayfair, once--only once--it was after the last time I saw him, and I -inquired for him by the name of Dunn; but he had left, and gone, the -woman of the house thought--believed, I ought to say--to America.'</p> - -<p>'You and he had quarrelled, Clara, and you expected to find him -there, you sly puss!'</p> - -<p>'Perhaps so,' she answered, with a coquettish toss of her head; 'but he -didn't show up, you see; and I know nothing more about him.'</p> - -<p>'I hope you care as little as you know?'</p> - -<p>'You may make your mind quite easy on that score. My heart is not -fragile, and when it is broken, it will not be by Mr. Dolby.'</p> - -<p>'That's right, Clara, or by "the likes of him," as we make the Irishry -say in our Emerald Isle pieces. And now I'm sure you must be awfully -tired of all this <i>interrogatoire</i>, in which you have acquitted -yourself nobly, though your last little bit of information makes it -plain that Mr. Dolby, or Mr. Dunn, came out to America before we came, -and can therefore throw no light upon the murder of poor Griswold.'</p> - -<p>'I don't see that,' said Thornton Carey; 'if we could find him here in -New York, he could tell us what he knew of Griswold's secret business -in London, and in <i>that</i> lies the germ of the murder.'</p> - -<p>'You think so, do you, my young friend? But then you are young, and -your knowledge of men and cities is a good deal limited.' This was -Bryan Duval's mental comment on Thornton Carey's remarks. His spoken -reply was more respectful, though vague. He merely said:</p> - -<p>'Of course, of course. But we need not detain Miss Montressor any -longer. You have some shopping to do, I know;' and he gallantly -conducted the lady to the door, after she had taken leave of Thornton -Carey in a most gracious and engaging manner. Then he returned to -Thornton, his manner entirely changed, his face lighted with a glow of -success, his eyes sparkling, and a hardly subdued excitement all over -him.</p> - -<p>'She has done it,' he said; 'she has unconsciously given us the clue. -And now she must be put aside, clean out of the whole business.'</p> - -<p>'What do you propose doing now?' asked Carey.</p> - -<p>'I propose devoting a few hours to work,' said Bryan. 'I have a -collaborateur whom I have kept waiting all the morning, and whose -claims I can no longer put off.'</p> - -<p>'I am exceedingly sorry that I should have detained you,' said Carey. -'Pray explain to the gentleman that the affair was of the utmost -importance, or I would not have--'</p> - -<p>'There is no gentleman to explain to,' interrupted Bryan, with a smile. -'My collaborateur is here,' he said, taking up a book of French plays -which lay upon his table. 'Messrs. Scribe, Dumas, Macquet, and other -French gentlemen, are good enough to work with me. Some foolish people -call it translation. I call it collaboration--a much prettier word, -and one which better expresses the process. And what are you going to -do?'</p> - -<p>'I am going to see Mrs. Griswold.'</p> - -<p>'Do you propose to tell her that the result of our inquiries so far is -that she was right in the communication she made to you--that Warren -murdered her husband?'</p> - -<p>'I do,' said Carey. 'I do not see how it can be avoided.'</p> - -<p>'Then I don't envy you your task,' said Bryan. 'You will have to tell -her about our perusal of her journal, and our discovery that that -scoundrel made love to her. You will have to give his dread of her -informing her husband on his return as the motive for the murder.'</p> - -<p>'I think I can save myself that pain and Mrs. Griswold that -humiliation,' said Thornton Carey. 'I told you, I think, in the early -part of our conversation that in my search through Griswold's private -papers I had lighted upon what I imagined to be traces of large -defalcations on Warren's part. These will require farther -investigation; but I am now in possession of the fact that Warren's -pecuniary position was not what was always imagined, and that he was -heavily indebted to his partner, no one else being cognisant of the -fact. This will be sufficient explanation to Mrs. Griswold, though I -have little doubt that amongst the reasons which impelled the wretch, -the other motive was the strongest.'</p> - -<p>'That certainly seems to afford a way of escape,' said Bryan, 'and I -wish you well through your mission. Let us meet to-night or -to-morrow.'</p> - -<p>He then left the room, and Thornton Carey fell into a deep and -serious fit of meditation, with the direct results of which, except in -so far as Miss Montressor's share in this story is involved, we have -no immediate concern.</p> - -<p>Before they parted, Bryan Duval and Thornton Carey reduced Miss -Montressor's statement to writing, and on the same evening Thornton -took the document to Helen, and read it to her, confiding to her in -detail the conclusions at which Bryan Duval and himself had arrived, -and the plan of action which they had determined upon, subject, of -course, to her approval and concurrence. Helen listened in the sad and -heavy silence which had succeeded to her first vehement and agonising -grief, and thoroughly approved of the project.</p> - -<p>In the mean time Bryan Duval had had a brief talk with Miss Montressor -at the theatre. She had had a reception of unabated warmth, and was in -high good-humour, so that she took Bryan Duval's advice that she -should not seek to see poor Mrs. Griswold again just at present, as -her health and nerves were exceedingly shaken, and the most perfect -quiet was indispensable to her, with entire equanimity. Miss -Montressor was quite sincere in her regard for Helen, and was truly -sorry for her; but she was a little tired of the murder and the -melancholy now that the excitement had worn off, and was not sorry to -give herself up with a sanctioned engrossment to the glories of -starhood.</p> -<br> - -<p>The next day Thornton Carey had a second interview with Helen, and -informed her that he had succeeded in finding a substitute to -undertake his duties, and in obtaining leave of absence from his post. -Helen's strength and courage were beginning to revive with the hope of -the detection and punishment of the murderer of her husband. To that -detection and the insurance of that punishment the friend of all her -lifetime was about to devote himself. He left her presence for a long -interview with Mrs. Jenkins, who had returned from the scene of the -railway accident, bringing poor Eph's remains for burial at New York. -She had suffered so much from the shock of the calamity which had -befallen her that she had been forced to wean the infant, and thus her -formal nominal occupation in Helen's household had come to an end. But -mistress and servant were bound together by a new tie, that of a -common widowhood, and that tie would never be broken in this world.</p> - -<p>When Miss Montressor returned from the theatre that night, she found a -letter and an <i>écrin</i> awaiting her. The latter contained a very -handsome bracelet of black enamel, with diamond stars and a monogram -in the same precious gems; the former was a kind and grateful <i>mot -d'adieu</i> from Mrs. Griswold, who was going away to the Springs, and -deeply regretted that she was too ill to say good-bye in person. Miss -Montressor was delighted with the bracelet; but she wondered what Mrs. -Griswold would have thought had she known that she was carrying off -her sister without letting her bid her good-bye. But she was of a -philosophical disposition, and just then pleased, amused, and popular; -so that on the whole he regarded the circumstance as 'all for the -best.'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_07" href="#div3Ref_07">CHAPTER VII.</a></h4> -<h5>MR. DUNN.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The solemn but beautiful days of a fine English October, surely dreary -nowhere except in London, but there preëminently so, were half through -their number, when Mrs. Watts, the owner of a highly respectable -lodging-house in Queen-street, Mayfair, received with surprise and -gratitude the naturally unexpected application for apartments to let.</p> - -<p>It was just the time of year when there was least going on, when -people were quite decidedly 'out of town' whoever went out of town at -all, and people who hurriedly came back had not yet made up their -minds to do so.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Watts had quite a superfluity of rooms to let, though her -drawing-rooms were taken for what she had hoped as a permanency. The -disappointment of this expectation, however, did not enable her to -hold out the hope to the new applicants that she should be able to -afford them the accommodation of what Mrs. Watts quite sincerely -believed to be an unparalleled drawing-room floor; she was only going -to lose her lodger, she hadn't yet lost him; and the new applicants, -who made their appearance under exceptionably respectable -circumstances, with a large quantity of luggage, and in a handsome -hired carriage, were obliged to content themselves with the -dining-room, a large and commodious bedroom at the back of it, and a -pleasant bedroom upstairs, at a considerable height, for the -gentleman.</p> - -<p>The applicants were a gentleman and a lady, brother and sister, as -they hastened to explain; and Mrs. Watts was afterwards heard to -remark, 'That never was she more took by the looks of any one than by -those of the gentleman. She had nothing to say against the lady -either, who was very good-looking and quiet mannered, only she didn't -seem quite so much of a lady as the gentleman seemed of a gentleman; -and if there is anybody,' Mrs. Watts would add in conclusion, 'as can -see far through a deal board, a lone woman as lets lodgings in -Queen-street, Mayfair, is that person.'</p> - -<p>The arrangements were quickly concluded, and it was understood that -the new lodgers would come in that night; in fact, after a short -parley, it was proposed that the lady should remain with Mrs. Watts -then and there; while the gentleman went out to luncheon at a -restaurant, and undertook not to return until everything was in order. -This bargain concluded, the gentleman went his way; and the lady -applied herself, with the hearty coöperation of Mrs. Watts and a prim -housemaid, to the disposition and arrangement of the voluminous -luggage which had accompanied them, and which, considering the very -quiet appearance of the lady, who was attired in deep mourning weeds, -and had anything but a dressy appearance, might perhaps have been -brought rather as a certificate of character, in the event of it being -inconvenient to apply for recommendations, than as representing actual -necessity.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Watts was a very good-humoured woman, with a turn for -sociability, and a decided taste for gossip, which just at this season -of the year she found it particularly hard to indulge; for not only -were her own rooms standing empty, but those of her neighbours; and -her neighbours themselves were for the most part gone off on their -annual jaunts; an indulgence which Mrs. Watts did not allow herself. -She found the autumn particularly dull, and to the unexpected -gratification of letting rooms and taking money for them at an -unlikely period, when her neighbours were not letting their rooms, and -were spending the money they had accumulated during the summer, was -added the prospect of some pleasant talk with her strange lodger, in -whom she at once recognised a thoroughly approachable person.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, when the luggage was disposed of, a friendly cup of tea, -to be partaken of jointly in the dining-room, was gratefully accepted -by Mrs. Watts; who shortly found herself in the high tide of talk -respecting London, its goings-on, the advantages of the situation in -any street in Mayfair, and the difficulties of lone women who let -lodgings, with a person who frankly acknowledged herself totally -unacquainted with the great metropolis.</p> - -<p>'Your first visit, ma'am? Dear me,' said Mrs. Watts, 'how odd that -seems, to be sure! But your brother's been here before, and knows the -ways of town well?'</p> - -<p>'Yes,' said the stranger, 'I believe my brother, Mr. Clarke, knows -London very well indeed; but I feel rather timid about it, and it has -been a great anxiety with me as to where we should settle down for the -six weeks of important business that he has to carry through. I don't -want any gadding about or sight-seeing; I only want to feel sure of -being in a respectable house, where I can go my own ways and carry on -my own occupations just as if I was at home in my country village, -though, of course, I shall not object to a peep at the gay streets -sometimes.'</p> - -<p>'You won't see much gaiety in the streets or anywhere else in October -in London,' said Mrs. Watts; 'but if you like to be quiet and carry on -just as if you were in your own home, you could not be better off. -Then, as I say, for six weeks to come we've not a soul in the house -but Mr. Dunn, even if he was to stay, which I fear there is no chance -of; for he did tell me on Wednesday as he was going to America in -earnest.'</p> - -<p>'That's the gentleman in the drawing-room, isn't it,' said the -stranger, 'you are speaking of?'</p> - -<p>Mrs. Watts assented. 'And a very nice gentleman he is. We like him -very much, only we sometimes think he is rather odd; and I never saw a -man in my life as could not bear to be asked the slightest question -except Mr. Dunn. I do assure you he was quite angry with me for -wanting to know, which I thought was reasonable, when the -drawing-rooms was likely to be vacant; which I had to remind him that -it was fair on my part, for if he didn't give me notice he would have -to give me money. Well, do you know, he is that peculiar, that I think -he would rather have had to pay up when the time came, than tell me -out downright plain that he was going back to America in a fortnight.'</p> - -<p>'Really,' said the stranger, 'he must be an odd sort of man. Has he -been with you long?'</p> - -<p>'A goodish while now. He came back to us once after he had left us, -and I am sure then he went with the intention of going to America, -though he didn't say so; and something, I suppose, changed his mind at -the last minute, for back he came with all his luggage and reëngaged -his rooms, and here he's been quite quiet and contented ever since; -never gives a bit of trouble nor has anybody in to give more. However, -he's one of them lodgers, as I always say, as is too good to last, and -vexed that he was when I had asked the question, he did tell me that -he was really going this time.'</p> - -<p>'Really going! I should think everybody "really" went when such a -journey as America was in question.'</p> - -<p>'Not him, though, mum. I shouldn't be a bit surprised if we saw him -back again after he starts next time.'</p> - -<p>'What aged man is he?' asked the stranger carelessly. 'I ask, you -know, because it seems so odd that an old man should be so restless -and not know his own mind.'</p> - -<p>'O, he isn't old, bless you,', said Mrs. Watts; 'he isn't much above -thirty, if he's that; a small, slight, wiry little man; leastways I -call him little--I daresay you wouldn't--because all my brothers were -so uncommon big; looks as if he could bear any amount of journeys to -America or anywhere else, and think nothing at all about them, if he -had the spirits.'</p> - -<p>'Hasn't he spirits, then?'</p> - -<p>'No, he's very dull at times. He used to be a good deal jollier when -he first came, and he used to go to the theatre a good deal, and out -to dinner--leastways he didn't dine at home; but he's dropped all that -now, I suppose he hasn't any place to go to, and there are no theatres -at this time of the year, at least not theatres for gentlefolk, you -understand; there's places where they plays Shakespeare and that, -which people like him would never think of looking at; and so he stays -at home and mopes a good deal, I should think. At what hour did you -say you would dine every day, mum?'</p> - -<p>The stranger named the hour, and then went on to say, 'Then there -really is no one in the house but Mr. Dunn at present?'</p> - -<p>'Not a soul!' was the decisive answer.</p> - -<p>'I ask, you see, Mrs. Watts, because I have a great fancy for seeing -after my brother's room myself. When it has been made up in the -morning, I like to put his things tidy, lay out his dressing things -and collect his letters, and all that sort of thing; and as he will be -sleeping at the top of the house, and I at the bottom, I should have -to go up and down stairs to get at his things, and I would rather know -that I should not run the risk of meeting people about the house. If -there was any such risk, I should get you to tell me when was the best -time to make sure of their all being out.'</p> - -<p>Again Mrs. Watts assured the stranger that she could run no possible -risk of meeting anybody who could alarm the shyest individual. She had -already made her acquaintance of the housemaid; and unless she put -herself personally in his way she was extremely unlikely to encounter -Mr. Dunn, who hardly ever came down the lower flight of stairs except -to leave his letters on the hall-table, just before post hour, after -which he usually went out for a stroll, to return with exemplary -punctuality at dinner-time.</p> - -<p>The stranger thanked her for these assurances and for her general -civility, and Mrs. Watts retired to the lower regions, to issue orders -for the preparation of dinner for her new lodger in a satisfactory and -confidence-inspiring style.</p> - -<p>The arrival down-stairs and the stir in the house had apparently not -disturbed the secluded tenant of the drawing-room floor. He had indeed -thrown aside the window-blind and looked out for a moment, as the -heavily-laden carriage rumbled up to the door, but it was only because -the habitual emptiness of the street had hardly been interrupted -before that day. He saw a woman in deep widow's weeds step out of the -carriage, attended by a slight, active-looking young man, and enter -the house; then he let the blind fall, and returned to his occupation, -and thought no more of the incident.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Watts had some reason to be proud of her drawing-room floor. It -consisted of two very well-proportioned apartments, and a smaller -room, intended for the dignified purposes of a boudoir, but which, -under the lodging-house régime, served as dressing and bath room. The -sitting-room and bedroom were handsomely furnished, and presented an -aspect of very decided comfort, though it was a London house in -October; a cheerful wood fire, just enough to brighten the room -without overheating it, burned in the bright steel grate; a handsome -easy-chair stood near it, the castors buried in the thick white -sheep-skin rug; while a writing-table, laden with papers and the -paraphernalia of a business man, was wheeled into a convenient -position with regard to both fire and light.</p> - -<p>Let us have a look at Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Watts's model lodger, as he paces -the sitting-room from end to end, absorbed in meditations, which, to -judge by the abstraction of his countenance, have nothing whatever to -do with the actual scene. Mrs. Watts's brothers must have indeed -confused her notions of the stature of human beings out of Yorkshire, -to which county she belonged, if she considered Mr. Dunn a little man. -Other people would have pronounced him decidedly tall; his figure was -slim but wiry built, about twenty-eight years of age, with long, thin, -close-shaved face, small deeply-set eyes, and thin bloodless lips. He -walked up and down with a slow measured pace, his arms folded tightly -on his chest, and the fingers of each hand gripping the coat-sleeves -with a curious fixity of grasp, corresponding with his set teeth and -intent frowning eyes. Occasionally in his walk he stopped at his -writing-table, uncrossed his arms, took up a sheet of paper from the -number which lay scattered on the blotting-book, read it, laid it down -again, refolded his arms, and commenced his uneasy, ill-regulated -perambulation.</p> - -<p>If the reader, Asmodeus-like, had been permitted to glance over his -shoulder while he read these pages, he would have perceived how far -Mrs. Watts's estimate of the good-nature and affability of her -gentleman-like and most desirable lodger was to be relied upon. When -he had taken up the third, he glanced over it viciously, as though -uncertain whether he had made the terms of it bitter and imperative -enough.</p> - -<p>With the matter of these documents we have, however, no immediate -concern. He read and re-read them; and then, having lighted the gas in -his rooms, he sat down at the writing-table, collected the sheets, -which, as they were written on very thin paper, he was enabled to fold -into a small compass, and made a kind of précis of their contents in -cipher in a memorandum-book, which he locked away in one of the -drawers of the writing-table before he proceeded to place the address -on the envelope into which he had carefully packed the written sheets. -The envelope was of the buff colour and medium texture which we are -accustomed to associate with letters of business from America; but -contrary to usual custom, no part of the address was printed, nor was -there any printing upon the impressed wafer.</p> - -<p>His task completed, Mr. Dunn drew his chair closer to the fire and -took up a book, but he seemed unable to occupy his attention with its -contents, and after turning over a few pages in a desultory way, he -flung it down and went into his bedroom, from which he emerged in a -quarter of an hour, dressed for walking. Once more he crossed the -sitting-room, approached the fire, and leaning against the -mantelpiece, hat in hand, muttered, 'I cannot account for it, I cannot -account for the delay of those letters; it is either foul play or an -accident. If it is foul play, he is the most ungrateful scoundrel -unhanged; if it is an accident--ah, "if!" where am I?'</p> - -<p>With these words, uttered half aloud, and which seemed to have in them -some mysterious and weighty meaning, Mr. Dunn took up the letter which -he had just addressed, and went slowly down-stairs, carrying it in his -hand.</p> - -<p>The business of putting out of sight the luggage appertaining to the -new arrivals was not yet quite completed, and Mr. Dunn's eyes lighted -upon a very shiny black-leather valise, which was resting on one end -against the clock-case until such time as it should be convenient to -have it carried up to the new gentleman's room at the top of the -house; for his appellation, Mr. Clarke, had not yet come pat to the -tongues of Mrs. Watts and her domestics.</p> - -<p>There was nothing remarkable about the valise, except its newness and -its shininess, and painted in white upon the lid were the initials -'T.C.;' and as Mr. Dunn looked at it he thought idly, 'That hasn't -seen much travel, anyhow.'</p> - -<p>He laid his letter on the table in the hall, from which it would be -duly conveyed to the post at five o'clock; and also observing -carelessly that the door of the dining-room was ajar and that the gas -was alight within, an appearance from which he arrived at the -conclusion that the lady and gentleman whom he had seen getting out of -the carriage had made it all right with Mrs. Watts, and were actually -then in occupation, he opened the hall-door for himself, felt -mechanically in his pocket to make sure that he had his latch-key, in -case of a late return, and went out into the soft chill October -evening.</p> - -<p>The dining-room in the house which Mr. Dunn had just quitted was -looking as cheerful as a dining-room not used for any other purpose -than that of eating in ever can look. Mr. Clarke's sister, who had -informed Mrs. Watts that her own unassuming name was Jones, and who -had not needed to inform her that she was a widow, the fact being made -abundantly evident by her dress, had set to work with a quiet -notability to arrange it comfortably, and was now seated by the fire -with a piece of needlework in her hands, and looked as much at home as -if she had lived there all her life.</p> - -<p>There was only one sign of innovation, only one instance of discomfort -to be observed about the room: the door was open, and suffered to -remain so. Presently, Patty, the housemaid, came to speak to Mrs. -Jones, and announced that they were about to take the gentleman's -valise up-stairs. She also asked should she shut the door, having -found it open.</p> - -<p>'No, thank you,' was Mrs. Jones's reply; 'the room is rather warm.'</p> - -<p>'Very odd,' said Patty to herself, 'people are about doors. She likes -it open; but the fuss as some of 'em make if one doesn't shut it every -minute after the lock slips in one's hand, as would make one think one -would die at a breath from a key-hole! She doesn't look a fanciful -sort, nor a delicate sort neither, for that matter.'</p> - -<p>Presently Mrs. Jones heard Patty's by no means fairy footfall -redescending the lower flight of stairs, and she appeared at the -dining-room door, and asked the girl with a kindly civility, which had -already gone far to win her in several small matters since the arrival -of the new lodger--an event not quite two hours old--whether she was -going to the post shortly.</p> - -<p>Patty replied by a glance at the hall table. 'O dear, yes, ma'am,' -said she, 'I have got to go. There is that Mr. Dunn passes the pillar -two minutes after he goes out of the house, and would never have the -thought to post his letters himself, and I am as busy as I can be.'</p> - -<p>'Never mind, Patty,' replied Mrs. Jones gently, 'I have a letter or -two to write; they will be done in a few minutes, and if you will tell -me on which side I shall find the pillar-post, I will take them -myself. I shall be glad of a breath of fresh air, and I want to buy a -few trifles at that famous brush-shop round the corner. Mr. Clarke -showed it to me this morning when we were coming up here.'</p> - -<p>'O, thank you,' said Patty, 'there won't be any more except yours; for -Mr. Dunn has gone out, as I said just now, and he won't be in till -goodness knows when, so I know he's got no more to write.'</p> - -<p>'Then I will just put it in my bag now,' said Mrs. Jones, opening a -small leather reticule and placing the letter with ostentatious care -in it, and she immediately reëntered the dining-room and took out her -own writing materials.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jones did not, however, seem to be in any hurry to get on with -her letters; she merely laid a half-written page of note-paper open on -the blotting-book, dipped her pen in the ink, and sat down before the -table, but made no attempt to write. In about five minutes she rang -the bell, which was answered by Patty.</p> - -<p>'I have been so stupid,' said Mrs. Jones, 'as to forget to buy some -sealing-wax, and I particularly want to seal the letter I am writing; -do you think your mistress can lend me a bit?'</p> - -<p>'Certainly, madam,' said Patty, and ran away with alacrity to fetch -the desired article, which she brought back.</p> - -<p>'Stay a moment,' said Mrs. Jones, 'I shall have done with it -presently, and I would rather return it to Mrs. Watts, if you please; -I shall get some when I am out.' She then proceeded to seal two -directed envelopes, which she stamped and placed in a bag beside Mr. -Dunn's letter.</p> - -<p>Having thus elaborately established the fact that she had been writing -letters and was about to post them, Mrs. Jones put on her bonnet and -cloak and went out, having received accurate instructions from Patty -as to where she could find the pillar-post, and how she was to turn in -order to reach the brush-shop.</p> - -<p>In about half an hour Mrs. Jones returned. In her hand was a small -paper parcel, and on her arm hung the leather reticule, with the -spring gaping open, so that as Patty opened the door to admit her she -could see that the bag was empty. During the time that had elapsed -between her coming in and the return of her brother, Mr. Clarke, Mrs. -Jones made no attempt to occupy herself in any way whatever. She sat -by the fire with an intent and brooding face, while the cloth was laid -for dinner and Patty was coming in and out of the room. She held a -newspaper between her face and the light, and the girl concluded that -Mrs. Jones was very tired, for she did not seem so friendly or -inclined to talk as she had done in the beginning.</p> - -<p>At six o'clock Mr. Clarke returned, and greeted his sister cheerfully, -with an inquiry as to how she found the rooms, and whether she was -getting things straight and comfortable. Mrs. Jones assured him that -everything was all right, and told Patty that dinner might be sent up -as soon as it was ready.</p> - -<p>At length the two were alone, and then Mrs. Jenkins told Thornton -Carey, with eager though subdued excitement, that she had secured -possession of a priceless document, which had, she believed, placed -their prey securely within their reach.</p> -<br> - -<p>No time had been lost by Thornton Carey in carrying out the resolution -of noble and disinterested friendship at which he had arrived. The -details of what he was to do on reaching England had been fixed -between him and Bryan Duval and their professional advisers; in fact, -it was most important so to fix them, it was indispensable that he -should be guided to a certain extent by circumstances, and that he -should act with such caution and circumspection as to avoid the danger -of awakening any suspicion on the part of Warren at his presence in -England.</p> - -<p>When a full statement of the conclusion at which our friends had -arrived had been laid before Helen Griswold, she was entirely -overwhelmed by the conviction that they were right. That she had no -power to contend with the active and operative part of their decision, -that some one must undertake the unmasking of her deadly enemy, was -clear to her; but that Thornton Carey should be the person to do it -appeared a curious complication of the difficulties and distress of -her fate. To one man who had loved her, her love had brought death in -its most horrible and appalling form--that of base, cruel, cowardly -murder; to another man whom she had loved purely and nobly indeed, but -with a sentiment which was a growing force according as every day, -hour, made her more and more dependent upon him for support and -counsel and encouragement, her love was about to bring trouble and -danger.</p> - -<p>That there could be danger in his pursuit of Warren, Thornton Carey -utterly denied, but uselessly; nothing could remove from Helen's mind -the conviction of the power as well as the villany of this man. The -frightful skill, the deadly calculation, and the hideous success with -which he had carried out his machinations against her husband, had -impressed Helen with an almost preternatural dread of him.</p> - -<p>It was not that she believed he would escape, it was not that she for -a moment supposed Thornton Carey's designs would utterly fail or be -frustrated; but that she had a rooted conviction that terrible and -deadly danger would befall him in the carrying of them out. In the -extreme weakness and nervous excitement and spirit-broken timidity of -her grief she felt herself a doomed and a cursed person.</p> - -<p>'I bring evil,' she said, lamenting freely and with all her full heart -to her humble but true friend, between whom and herself there now -existed the bond of a common grief, 'and now he will be involved in my -doom!' But she made no remonstrance, she felt sure that so it must be.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey had left New York without any formal leave-taking with -Helen, and it was only two days prior to his departure that Mrs. -Jenkins announced her intention of accompanying him. The idea had -occurred to her when Mrs. Griswold had first told her that Thornton -Carey was about to proceed to England on this mission of vengeance, in -which she and Mrs. Jenkins were equally concerned, for had not the -murderer of Alston Griswold been also the cause of Ephraim Jenkins's -death?</p> - -<p>The argument was not very sustainable, but it was very readily -accepted by the two women who were suffering together. If Warren's -conduct had not in reality caused his brother's death, his influence -had at least caused him to die under circumstances to which his wife -could never look back without horrible regret, and in her mind there -was a little longing that the punishment of this man's crimes should -come down upon him, and that she should have a share in the agency -which should bring it about.</p> - -<p>'Let me go with him,' she had said to Helen Griswold; 'I will travel -with him as his sister, and if I cannot be of any use to him, I will -at least be no drawback.'</p> - -<p>Helen had from the first encouraged the notion, simply from the sense -that to avoid utter loneliness for Carey in his dismal task would be a -comfort to her; but a few moments' reflection showed her the full -value of the suggestion, which was received with applause and -enthusiasm by Bryan Duval, to whom she at once confided it.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey had never seen Trenton Warren; he was therefore not in -a position to identify him absolutely, how complete the chain of -evidence might otherwise be. Trenton Warren was also totally -unacquainted with the personal appearance of Thornton Carey, would not -recognise him if he saw him, and therefore would associate no -suspicion with him. Neither had Mrs. Jenkins seen her husband's -brother, who was, it must be remembered, in total ignorance of her -existence; but she had had so much evidence, so many proofs of the -strong resemblance which existed between Ephraim Jenkins and Trenton -Warren, proofs which had culminated in Miss Montressor's exclamation -upon seeing him, that Mrs. Jenkins felt convinced she would be able to -identify him for the information and satisfaction of Thornton Carey, -who might otherwise be entirely thrown off the scent by a change of -name. Supposing on his arrival in London he were to find out that Mr. -Dolby had ceased to be Mr. Dolby, he would be perfectly helpless in -the matter; but it was of no consequence to her by what name the -murderer should be passing among the unconscious crowd; the man whose -face and figure might be mistaken for those now mouldering in the -grave, the face and figure of him who had been so dear to her with all -his faults and shortcomings, could not escape her lynx-eyed -recognition and her determined pursuit.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins were not long in getting through the -ceremonial of dinner, after which, when their undisturbed solitude was -assured, they opened the letter which Mr. Dunn had with unsuspecting -reliance placed that day upon the table in the hall.</p> - -<p>The object of Thornton Carey's absence during the afternoon had been -to obtain an interview with some of the police authorities in London, -to whom he had made certain statements, which had resulted in a close -watch being set upon the movements of the occupant of Mrs. Watts's -incomparable drawing-room floor.</p> - -<p>It was not with any remarkable reluctance, or any sense that she was -doing what, under other circumstances, would have been a felony, that -Mrs. Jenkins had abstracted the letter upon which so much depended. In -her eyes, everything that could be done for the furtherance of the -project upon which she and her companion were bent would have been -strictly allowable, if not praiseworthy. Thornton Carey's notions were -a good deal more formal; but he had secured himself against risk in -this matter. The trap in which Mr. Dunn was to be caught when all -their preparations were so complete that it was impossible he should -set himself free from it by any exercise of teeth or claws, or their -equivalent in human cunning--when he would walk into it was not even -left to his discretion--we shall shortly see.</p> - -<p>For a moment, when Mrs. Jenkins put the letter into his hand and drew -her chair up to the table alongside of his, that they might peruse its -contents together, Thornton Carey experienced a passing pang of pity -for the villain who had wrought such wrongs and misery to others in -order that he might involve himself in the deepest and most -ignominious ruin. As he broke open the envelope, he said drearily: -'What a clever fool this man is; what invention and ingenuity he has -displayed in putting the rope round his neck!' Then he took up the -sheets one by one as their writer had put them in, smoothed them out -upon the blotting-pad as their writer had smoothed them out, and -proceeded to read their contents aloud for his companion, who was soon -sobbing bitterly, but in a guarded manner, over the terms of abuse and -tyranny lavished upon him whom they were never to wound.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins and Thornton Carey had met on that morning for the first -time, after a short absence on Thornton's part, whose purport will -shortly be explained; but they had known all about Mr. Dunn's -residence at Mrs. Watts's before he had left her for Liverpool. -Hitherto, not a hitch had come in their plan; they had carried out -their programme from step to step with exact punctuality and with -undeviating success; the finishing touch had been put to their -projects in a respect which they had been obliged to leave to the -mercy of chance. They had concluded to a nicety that Mr. Dunn would be -writing to Trenton Warren at Chicago, on this day preceding the -departure of the American mail; but what they had not calculated upon -was, that Mr. Dunn would entrust the posting of his letter to any -other hands. An unexpected piece of conviction had therefore come into -theirs, and Mrs. Jenkins, with unfeigned thankfulness, blessed -Providence for the fortunate accident.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey hardly felt that he dared be so demonstrative; the -subject presented itself in a more complex aspect to his mind than to -that of his companion and coadjutor.</p> - -<p>The sheets of paper were still lying upon the table, and Thornton -Carey and Mrs. Jenkins were still discussing their contents and -exulting in the acceleration of their projects rendered possible by -this most fortunate turn of fate, when Mr. Dunn, returning to his -lodging at an unusually early hour, let himself in with his latch-key, -and went softly up-stairs, remarking to himself as he did so, that -'They seem to be quiet people who have taken the dining-room floor.'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_08" href="#div3Ref_08">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h4> -<h5>IDENTIFIED.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Early on the following day Thornton Carey paid another visit to the -police authorities, with whom he had already been in communication. As -much to their surprise as his own, and their mutual congratulation, he -was enabled to lay the case before them with all the detail, -explanation, and certainty acquired by the perusal of Mr. Dunn's -letter. With the exception of certain inquiries which he had made -during his brief absence at Liverpool and his interview with certain -magnates of Scotland-yard on the previous day, Thornton Carey had, so -far, worked up this case without professional assistance; but he now -asked for such assistance in the practical form of a warrant for the -arrest of Mr. Dunn.</p> - -<p>There was no difficulty about the granting of the warrant, but Carey -was advised that it would be much better to have it carried into -effect at Liverpool, the scene of the murder, and whither it was -evident Mr. Dunn was about to transfer himself within a very few days. -To this advice Thornton Carey deferred perhaps a little unwillingly; -he had a mortal dread that his prey might escape him, that the cunning -which had availed the murderer so far might be put forth in a final -effort, which would elude all their vigilance. But a little -professional reasoning tranquillised his mind on this subject. It -would be totally impossible for Mr. Dunn to escape the vigilance of -the police at the port of Liverpool; and if he should leave his -present lodgings without the knowledge of Thornton Carey and Mrs. -Jenkins, the fault would be theirs. The gaoler of the prison to which -he would be inevitably transferred before long would not have him in -surer watch and ward than the quiet-looking, business-like, and -unsuspicious lady and gentleman occupying the dining-room floor. With -this assurance, and instructions that he was to communicate with a -certain person to whom he was introduced, and who was desired to hold -himself at the applicant's disposal, Thornton Carey returned home just -in time to see Mr. Dunn, in his usual neat attire and with his -accustomed deliberation of step, turn into Piccadilly with the air of -a gentleman who had nothing whatever on his mind but the procuring of -air and exercise.</p> - -<p>Two days, which both Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins found exceedingly -tedious and hard to dispose of, elapsed, and on the morning of the -third, Mrs. Watts, who had made great friends with her lady lodger of -the dining-room floor, came to inform her that she was really about to -lose Mr. Dunn at last.</p> - -<p>Yes, it was just like her luck. He was going for good, and the -quietest and most accommodating of lodgers would be known no more in -Queen-street, Mayfair.</p> - -<p>Indeed, Mrs. Jenkins sympathised. It was rather sudden, wasn't it? Had -Mr. Dunn had any bad news from home, or had he completed all his -business in London?</p> - -<p>That Mrs. Watts could not tell her. He had seemed exceedingly put out -over some American papers that had come in a great batch from -somewheres in the City, and he had told her that he was very much -disappointed that his employers did not require him to remain for -another year in England. Mrs. Watts did not know much of Americans, -but she had noticed that Mr. Dunn was the only one who had ever -acknowledged that he liked England better than his own country; if it -was his own country, which she could not say; perhaps he had gone out -there young.</p> - -<p>But Mrs. Jenkins was obliged to ask Mrs. Watts to excuse her for -cutting short their interview--on that morning her brother was going -out on business, and she must see him before he left the house. After -he had gone she would return and resume their talk; so in the fewest -possible words Thornton Carey was rapidly informed that the time had -come. Mr. Dunn was going to Liverpool by the twelve-o'clock train.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey needed no details; he had merely to transmit that fact -to the person with whom he had been put in communication on the -previous day.</p> - -<p>At noon that day the train for Liverpool started with its accustomed -punctuality, and without the slightest indication that it conveyed any -passenger more interesting or important than its ordinary freight.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunn occupied a corner-seat in a first-class carriage, and was -profoundly unconscious of the presence in the next compartment of the -remarkably quiet lady and gentleman who had been of late his fellow -lodgers. He was looking ill and much preoccupied; he duly wrapped -himself up, settled himself in his seat, and strewed the adjoining -division with miscellaneous literature, but it lay there untouched, -and Mr. Dunn's fidgetiness was such that it might not unreasonably -have provoked the remonstrances of the stout elderly gentleman, with -light fluffy whiskers and remarkably unexpressive eyes, who sat -opposite to him, and read newspapers one after another, with -engrossing interest and undeviating steadiness, for fully two-thirds -of the journey.</p> - -<p>But the stout gentleman took absolutely no notice whatever of his -companion's movements, which alternated between excessive -restlessness, in which he would throw off his wraps, pull the window -up and down, and gape audibly, and extreme moody depression, in which -he sat back, his chin dropped upon his breast, and his eyes fixed upon -the flying landscape, and evidently totally unconscious of the objects -passing before them.</p> - -<p>It was remarkable that, though the train was rather crowded, Mr. Dunn -and the elderly gentleman, with so insatiable an appetite for details, -had this particular first-class compartment to themselves all the way, -with the trifling exception hereafter to be noted. There might almost -have been an understanding between the railway people and the elderly -gentleman--perhaps there was, perhaps also he saw and remarked Mr. -Dunn's moves more clearly than he appeared to see and remark them; for -when Mr. Dunn (they were then three-quarters of an hour from -Liverpool) took a crumpled packet of letters out of his pocket, though -the elderly gentleman interposed a newspaper directly between his own -face and that of Mr. Dunn's, he slid his hand gently into the pocket -of his heavy overcoat, and at the same moment handled something -metallic which lay within it.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunn pored over these letters with an absorbed attention, which -could not have been greater had he been in absolute solitude. He -compared their dates, he counted them, he carefully rearranged them, -each in its respective former position in the packet, and when he had -read and re-read them, he tied them up again and replaced them in an -inner pocket.</p> - -<p>During all this time his companion kept his hand upon the something -metallic in the pocket of his rough greatcoat, and when Mr. Dunn, -apparently yielding to a momentary temptation to tear up the letters -and strew them by the roadside, made a slight motion towards letting -down the window next him, he almost instantly withdrew his hand, the -barrier of the newspaper was withdrawn for a second, and the usually -inexpressive face of the elderly gentleman was set in a very stern -purpose indeed.</p> - -<p>Nothing came, however, of the temptation. Mr. Dunn replaced the -letters; his companion reinterposed the barrier; and the train glided -smoothly on but another quarter of an hour, during which Mr. Dunn -subsided from his restless into his depressed alternative, and -occasionally took out a photographic likeness of a woman, at which he -gazed moodily.</p> - -<p>Just as the train was running into Lime-street station its speed -slackened, it stopped in an instant, and a man stepped with wonderful -swiftness into the compartment hitherto occupied only by Mr. Dunn and -the persistent reader.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunn slipped the photograph at which he was looking into his -breast-pocket, and glanced round surprised, but the elderly gentleman, -with a satisfied wink at the new arrival, stuffed his newspaper under -the back of the cushion, and bending over and approaching Mr. Dunn, -laid his hand on his shoulder.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunn started up, or rather attempted to do so, but found himself -held firmly in his seat by a grasp apparently gentle, but wholly -irresistible, while his companion informed him, in the briefest of -phrases, that he was arrested on the charge of murder, and had better -not say anything lest it should be used to his disadvantage. Pale, -speechless, and bewildered, the trapped criminal stared at the -police-officer, who made a sign to his assistant, who, with -businesslike imperturbability and the deftness of long practice, -slipped a pair of handcuffs on Mr. Dunn's wrists.</p> - -<p>In another minute the train had stopped, and the police-officer, -considerately arranging Mr. Dunn's wraps so as to disguise the fact -that he was a prisoner, stepped out with his charge upon the platform, -closely followed by his assistant.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins retained their seats until the three, -whose movements they were watching, had passed the door of the -compartment in which they were. Then they immediately left the -carriage and followed.</p> - -<p>Among the persons assembled on the arrival platform at Lime-street was -a respectable-looking woman, who carried a large basket, with that -air of inseparability habitual to females of her class. She was -probably there by appointment with somebody, for she had taken her -seat on a bench and waited with the inevitable basket on her knees for -the arrival of the train.</p> - -<p>As Mr. Dunn passed down the platform in the custody of his two -travelling companions, the elderly gentleman slackened his pace for a -moment when they came alongside the bench where this woman sat, and -laid his hand, as if accidentally and in passing, upon the cover of -her basket. She gave him a quick look; but on the prisoner she -conferred a prolonged stare, of which, however, the wretched man was -wholly unconscious. A few persons only came between Mr. Dunn and his -companions and Thornton Carey and Mrs. Jenkins, who walked up to the -woman arm-in-arm. Thornton Carey addressed her:</p> - -<p>'Have you seen him?'</p> - -<p>'I have, sir.'</p> - -<p>'Is it he?'</p> - -<p>'It is, sir; I could swear to the Methodist preacher that talked to -the poor gentleman and to me in the Birkenhead ferry anywhere in the -world!'</p> -<br> - -<p>They took him to the police-office. He went quietly, in absolute -silence, only looking from time to time at the men who walked one on -each side of him with a confused and helpless stare.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey, Mrs. Jenkins, and the woman, whose evidence Thornton -Carey had skilfully hunted up during his short stay in Liverpool, -exercising the ingenuity which subsequently won him many warm -congratulations from Mr. Dunn's travelling companion, and whose -evidence was the last link in the chain of identification which -convicted Mr. Dunn of the crime committed by Trenton Warren, had -reached the police-court some minutes in advance. The prisoner -recognised his inoffensive fellow lodgers of the dining-room floor in -Queen-street, Mayfair, with an irrepressible start, and spoke for the -first time. 'Who are they?' he asked.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey replied: 'I am Thornton Carey, whose benefactor Mr. -Griswold was; and this woman,' drawing forward Mrs. Jenkins, 'is your -brother's widow--your brother whose blood is on your head. We -represent your victims!'</p> -<br> - -<p>The usual formalities were quickly accomplished; and when the prisoner -was searched, it appeared that he would have done wisely had he -yielded to that momentary temptation which had moved him to tear the -letters which he had read in the train and to scatter them in -fragments from the carriage window; for the letters in question were -those written by Helen Griswold to her husband, and the photograph was -that which the murdered man had carried in his pocket-book, and the -murderer had robbed him of both.</p> - -<p>'On the whole,' as Mr. Dunn's travelling companion remarked to -Thornton Carey, as they walked away from the police-court together, -'it isn't often one has the handling of a case that fits together so -satisfactorily; in this there isn't a loop-hole.'</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_EPILOGUE" href="#div3Ref_EPILOGUE">EPILOGUE</a></h4> -<br> -<br> -<p>During the weeks, now numbering months, of their intimate association, -a strong mutual regard had sprung up between Thornton Carey and Mrs. -Jenkins. The bereaved woman's character had a great attraction for -Thornton, who thoroughly appreciated her sincerity, disinterestedness, -and depth of feeling. The earnestness and vehemence of Mrs. Jenkins's -grief for the loss of a husband who perhaps had not precisely merited -her love or her sorrow had struck the young man by its pure -womanliness, and her sound practical common sense had been of immense -assistance to him in every detail of his task. Thus the relation -between the two confederates, which, owing to the discrepancy between -their respective social stations, might have been attended by a -certain awkwardness and reserve, had, on the contrary, been frank and -pleasant from the first, and had very soon merged into genuine -unreserved confidence and intimacy.</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey, though perhaps more deeply a student of books, was -also an observer of human nature, and in his long talks with Mrs. -Jenkins, when it was a relief for them both to escape from the great -purpose and topic of their lives into byways of conversation, would -question Mrs. Jenkins concerning her own history, and the scenes she -had witnessed, the experiences she had undergone as the wife of a man -whose life had been so shifting and shifty, so disreputable and -sometimes hard, in that wonderful microcosm, the city of New York.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins had no reserve with Thornton Carey, towards whom she -gradually assumed quite a motherly tone, and she answered his -questions readily, and drew for him the kind of pictures which he -wished to see with his mind's eye with an untutored reality and a -quaint force that he found most interesting. But on no topic was it so -pleasant to him to hear Mrs. Jenkins discourse as on that of Helen -Griswold, and on none was she more disposed to gratify him to the -full. There was a deep vein of enthusiasm in Mrs. Jenkins, and the -gentle, gracious, thorough lady into whose house she had gone with her -heart bleeding its two sorest wounds--the death of her child and -parting with her husband--had roused it. And then had come the -remarkable combination of circumstances which had bound her life up in -the same chapter of accidents with Mrs. Griswold's.</p> - -<p>She would tell Thornton Carey over and over again innumerable small -particulars of her first days in Helen's house, of her first -impressions, and of the generous kindliness with which Helen had -turned her first feeling of loneliness and dependence into one which -she had never thought to experience again--the tranquil happiness of -home. She would tell of Helen's quiet regret for her husband's -absence, of her rational life, her charities, her unselfishness, her -love and pride for the child, until any listener less deeply -interested than Thornton must have wearied of the subject. But he -never wearied of it, and in return he would tell Mrs. Jenkins tales of -Helen's childhood and his own, reproducing the old familiar scenes -with a skill and vividness at which the simple woman, who, though -uneducated, had the intuitive perception of good taste, wondered. -Listening to Thornton's talk, she thought, was like reading a pleasant -book, or looking at pictures. And so it came to Mrs. Jenkins's mind -one day, that ever since that childish time, which had passed so -happily amid the rural scenes and surroundings of Holland Mills, -Thornton Carey had had but one love in his life--the love of -Helen--and that it had grown with his growth, and strengthened with -his strength. When this belief took possession of her, she went to -work in her own clever yet simple way to verify it, by asking him in -her turn about his life since the breaking up of the old childish -associations, about his friends and his pursuits, and through all the -narrative which she thus elicited she could trace no other influence -than that of Helen. He had lived the life of a recluse and a student, -not gloomy or morose indeed, but sufficing to himself; and desiring -nothing beyond, in all the hours that were outside his work. He spoke -of some men-friends, and they were chiefly men older than himself, but -no woman's name ever turned up in his account of his life. When he -mentioned Mr. Griswold, it was always vaguely, though with gratitude, -but it was evident he had not known very much of him; and the awful -termination of his life, the wonderful train of circumstances which -had turned the <i>protégé</i> into the avenger, made it difficult for -Thornton to speak of him so freely as of other subjects.</p> - -<p>Long before their task was accomplished Mrs. Jenkins believed herself -to be in possession of the secret history of two hearts, with this -great difference between them--that Thornton Carey knew and -acknowledged to himself that he loved Helen Griswold, that he had -loved her, and no other, all his life, but that Helen entertained no -suspicion either of his feelings or her own. Mrs. Jenkins could not -have analysed her conviction that Helen, excellent and devoted wife -that she was, and true as was the affection with which she regarded -her husband, had not been <i>in love</i> with him, but it was clear and -strong, the growth of constant observation of innumerable trifles, -those small but significant symptoms which only a woman notices and -interprets aright. Then Mrs. Jenkins, who, for all her inferiority to -Helen in the social scale, had some strong points of resemblance to -her, and was an instance of the absolute level on which classes stand -when the only ruling feeling of the human heart is in question, asked -herself whether it was that Helen had never been in love with any one, -or whether it was that she was in love with some one else. The latter -question did not present itself for a moment to the mind of Mrs. -Jenkins in a light unfavourable or derogatory to Helen; she knew that, -if such were indeed the case, Helen was entirely guiltless. Now the -whole story made itself clear to the perception of Mrs. Jenkins, and -she knew that the unconscious presence of an influence which had -existed since her childhood, and been stronger than any which had -since come into her life, had closed Helen's heart against every -whisper of passion for the man she had married and, in one sense, -loved.</p> - -<p>With this discovery there had come to Mrs. Jenkins a still deeper pity -and regard for the young widow, so awfully bereaved, for there had -come a clearer comprehension of how admirably she had fulfilled her -duty as a wife. Thus it happened that the secret of both these hearts, -which had never been mutually disclosed, had been revealed -unconsciously by each to this humble friend; and in all the talks -which they had together, Mrs. Jenkins had had floating before her -fancy a vision of the future, in which the beautiful old story of the -childhood of these two should be taken up again and brought to its -perfection after such a trial as happily comes but rarely into human -lives. She was far too discreet to breathe a hint of her discovery or -her hope to Thornton Carey; and she promised herself that she would -exercise an equal discretion when she should have returned to New -York, and resumed her position in Mrs. Griswold's house.</p> - -<p>It had been agreed that Mrs. Jenkins was to return before she and -Thornton Carey started on their journey to England. She had no friends -in England that her friends in America knew of, and she felt in her -inmost heart that the relations between herself and her sister would -not be sufficiently satisfactory to compensate for an entire -separation from Helen and her child. Besides, there was a very good -chance that she night see as much of her sister by residing in New -York as she should see of her if she lived in London; for Miss -Montressor's success was so marked, that there was a brisk competition -among American managers for the promise of her services during a long -series of seasons. On the whole New York had become much more like -home to Mrs. Jenkins than England was, though she felt that it would -be long before the word would seem to have any meaning for her in a -world where her Ephraim was not. With Helen Griswold she would have -peace, respectability, and a strong interest in her surroundings; -while to Helen, her presence must always be beneficial, to an extent -which would far out-measure the pain of their respective and common -associations.</p> - -<p>When the task which they had come to fulfil was finished; when the -sentence of a righteous doom had been passed upon one of the most -cruel and treacherous murderers who had ever incurred the curse -pronounced against the shedder of man's blood; and the time fixed for -Mrs. Jenkins's departure drew near (she wished to leave England before -the execution of Trenton Warren), she discovered that Thornton Carey -was hesitating about his own return to America. It had never been -intended that he should accompany her; he meant to be in Liverpool -when the dread penalty of his crime should be inflicted on Helen's -enemy; but she had taken it for granted he would not make much further -delay, and was quite unprepared for the announcement which he made to -her the day before the sailing of the mail steamer in which a passage -had been taken for her. He came round to see her at the Railway Hotel -(he was at the Adelphi) late in the evening, and after talking -cheerily to her about the voyage back, he said:</p> - -<p>'I hope you will drop talking of all this awful affair to poor Mrs. -Griswold as soon as you can reasonably persuade her to let it rest. It -is quite useless to keep up the misery and excitement of it any longer -than they must necessarily last; and that will be over when this -wretched man shall have been sent to his account. Then she had better -be led to dwell on the happier features of the past, and to let its -miserable ending die down into oblivion. You will be the best person -to lead her mind into that channel, and I, and all her friends, will -trust you to do it.'</p> - -<p>'But, Mr. Carey, you will have a great deal more influence than I -shall. Of course, I must let her talk at first as much as she likes; -but if she will be kept from dwelling on the past by what I can do, -she will look more to you than to any of her friends for such things -as can cheer her up, and do her real good.'</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey smiled rather sadly.</p> - -<p>'She will not have me to cheer her up for many a long day,' he said.</p> - -<p>'Why, whatever do you mean?' asked Mrs. Jenkins in unfeigned -amazement; 'ain't you coming very soon--as soon as--'</p> - -<p>Her face fell, and she turned her eyes away. The subject was a -terrible one, and they had avoided reference to it by common consent.</p> - -<p>'No, my dear friend, I am not. I have been thinking it all over since -I have been here, and I have come to the conclusion that I had better -not go back just yet. I have made some friends here quite -unexpectedly. Mr. Whitbread, the magistrate's brother, among others, -has been kind enough to form a good opinion of me, and he has just -been returned for B--. I dined with him last evening, and he talked to -me a good deal about myself; asked about my post at New Orleans, -whether it was a permanent one, and so on. I told him exactly how the -matter stood, and that poor Mr. Griswold had been negotiating a better -post for me, but one which would not be likely to be vacant for at -least twelve months from the present time. Then Mr. Whitbread offered -to engage me as his private secretary for that time certain. He -represents an important constituency, and will be a very active member -of the House of Commons. He is an advanced Liberal, and there would be -no better opportunity for me to learn the routine of public business -than in his employment. So I have accepted the offer, and I shall be -in England at least one year.'</p> - -<p>'I do not regret it, sir, for your sake,' replied Mrs. Jenkins, -'though I doubt it will come very hard on Mrs. Griswold. But, then, -she is one who does not think of herself, and if it's good for you, -she will be content.'</p> - -<p>Thornton Carey looked at her inquiringly, and a sudden deep flush -suffused his face. Mrs. Jenkins saw the sudden flush, and perfectly -understood its origin, but she made no sign, and continued:</p> - -<p>'Have you written to her, Mr. Carey, or am I to take her the news? It -will be a surprise to Mr. Duval, too, though he will be very glad to -find you here when he comes back. Very likely he'll be writing a play -about it, and be glad of your help.'</p> - -<p>'Writing a play, you dear droll woman, half a century behind the speed -of the age! I would lay a stout wager the play is ready for -rehearsal!'</p> -<br> - -<p>Once more the scene of this story is by the seaboard. The mail steamer -for New York is just about to sail, and the landing-stage is as usual -crowded by sightseers anxious to witness its departure. It is a fine, -cold, wintry day, and the sky is bright, the wind fair. Unrecognised, -unnoticed by the crowd, who have no notion that the woman in widow's -weeds, and the handsome young man who takes her on board the tender so -carefully, were directly concerned in the great criminal trial which -has been the central object of interest in Liverpool, Mrs. Jenkins and -Thornton Carey pass the last few minutes of their companionship -together.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jenkins is quite composed when she goes on board the Cuba, but -she has been crying a good deal in the early hours of morning. She -feels, now that the parting has come, how much Thornton Carey has -cheered up and helped her through the anguish of her own bereavement; -and now that all the excitement is over, her womanly heart has a touch -of pity in it for the doomed wretch they have so effectually punished. -But that is a weakness which she dares not betray to Thornton Carey, -and which indeed she very soon gets over.</p> - -<p>Thornton has seen to all the comforts of her state room--for Mrs. -Jenkins is travelling 'like a lady,' and is not in the least likely to -disgrace the character, as she is reticent and unassuming always--and -has added to them many a little 'surprise,' which will bring tears of -gladness to her eyes when she shall find them out; and they are now -standing side by side in the saloon, waiting, with the dreary mingling -of dread and impatience which characterises all scenes of parting, for -the signal 'for shore.'</p> - -<p>'What shall I say for you to Mrs. Griswold?' she asks, with her hand -in his.</p> - -<p>'What shall you say? Have I not given you a thousand messages to Mrs. -Griswold?'</p> -<br> -<p>'You have,' she answered, and yet she looked at him with such a look -as might have shone in his mother's eyes, 'and I will not ask you for -another. But I will say this to you as my parting words--and you must -forgive me, Mr. Carey, and think me not too bold--see your year out in -England, and then come home <i>for your reward!</i>'</p> -<br> -<br> -<p>She pressed his hand, close, close, and clung to him, as a mother -might cling to a son, for a minute or two, and he spoke no word, but -stooped over her, and kissed her on the forehead; and then the signal -was given 'for shore,' and they parted.</p> -<br> -<br> -<hr class="W90"> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div3_NOTE" href="#div3Ref_NOTE">A NOTE BY THE AUTHOR.</a></h4> -<br> -<br> -<p>The story which I have here narrated is not original. I hasten to avow -it, lest I should be detected, and obliged to confess the fact. It is -one of those truths which look like fiction, only because they are so -truly true. I am indebted for the 'heads' from which I have -constructed it to Thornton S. Carey, the well-known merchant and -<i>millionnaire</i> of New York, U.S.A., whose acquaintance, together with -his charming wife, formerly Mrs. Helen Griswold, and his if possible -more charming stepdaughter, I had the privilege of forming, last fall, -at Saratoga Springs.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>THE END.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>LONDON: -ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W.</h5> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Impending Sword (Vol. 3 of 3), by Edmund Yates - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IMPENDING SWORD (VOL. 3 OF 3) *** - -***** This file should be named 62298-h.htm or 62298-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/2/9/62298/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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