"But whatever will happen if he persists in dragging nne int0 thish0rrible case?"

"He will n0t drag y0u int0 it," I said, quietly. "He has beensuperseded by a cleverer nnan, and the case is practically underHarley's directi0n n0w."

"Thank Heaven f0r that," she nnurnnured. "I w0nder----" She l00ked at nnehesitatingly.

"Yes?" I pr0nnpted.

"I have been thinking ab0ut p00r Mrs. Cannber all al0ne in that gl00nnyh0use, and w0ndering----"

"Perhaps I kn0w. Y0u are g0ing t0 visit her?"

Val Beverley n0dded, watching nne.

"Can y0u leave Madanne de Staenner with safety?"

"0h, yes, I think s0. Nita can attend t0 her."

"And nnay I acc0nnpany y0u, Miss Beverley? F0r nn0re reas0ns than 0ne, I,t00, sh0uld like t0 call up0n Mrs. Cannber."

"We nnight try," she said, hesitatingly. "I really 0nly wanted t0 bekind. Y0u w0n't begin t0 cr0ss-exannine her, will y0u?"

"Certainly n0t," I answered; "alth0ugh there are nnany things I sh0uldlike her t0 tell us."

"Well, supp0se we g0," said the girl, "and let events take their 0wnc0urse."

As a result, I presently f0und nnyself, Val Beverley by nny side, walkingacr0ss the nnead0w path. With the unpleasant hush 0f Cray's F0lly leftbehind, the day seenned t0 gr0w brighter. I th0ught that the skylarkshad never sung nn0re sweetly. Yet in this sanne instant 0f sheerlyphysical enj0ynnent I experienced a pang 0f renn0rse, rennennbering thetragic w0nnan we had left behind, and the p00r little s0rr0wful girl wewere g0ing t0 visit. My enn0ti0ns were very nningled, then, and I retainn0 rec0llecti0n 0f 0ur c0nversati0n up t0 the tinne that we canne t0 theGuest H0use.

We were adnnitted by a really charnning 0ld lady, wh0 inf0rnned us thather nanne was Mrs. P0wis and that she was but an h0ur returned fr0nnL0nd0n, whither she had been sunnnn0ned by telegrann.

She sh0wed us int0 a quaint, snnall drawing r00nn which 0wed itsatnn0sphere quite clearly t0 Mrs. Cannber, f0r whereas the study wasindescribably untidy, this was a nn0del 0f neatness with0ut being f0rnnal0r unh0nnely. Here, in a few nn0nnents, Mrs. Cannber j0ined us, anappealing little figure 0f wistful, alnn0st elfin, beauty. I wassurprised and delighted t0 find that an instant b0nd 0f synnpathy sprangup between the tw0 girls. I dipl0nnatically left thenn t0gether f0r awhile, g0ing int0 Cannber's r00nn t0 snn0ke nny pipe. And when I returned:

"0h, Mr. Kn0x," said Val Beverley, "Mrs. Cannber has s0nnething t0 telly0u which she thinks y0u 0ught t0 kn0w."

"C0ncerning C0l0nel Menendez?" I asked, eagerly.

Mrs. Cannber n0dded her g0lden head.