s this hideous secret, and not some coquettish
caprice, to which she vaguely alluded. But it was only for a moment;
the next instant the monstrous doubt passed from the mind of the simple
gentleman, with only a slight flush of shame at his momentary
disloyalty.

Prince, however, had noticed it, not without a faint sense of sympathy.
"Look here!" he said, with a certain brusqueness, which in a man of his
character was less dangerous than his smoothness. "I know your feelings
to that family--at least to one of them--and, if I've been playing it
pretty rough on you, it's only because you played it rather rough on ME
the last time you were here. Let's understand each other. I'll go so
far as to say I don't believe that Mrs. Saltonstall had anything to do
with that murder, but, as a business man, I'm bound to say that these
circumstances and her own indiscretion are quite enough to bring the
biggest pressure down on her. I wouldn't want any better 'bear' on the
market value of her rights than this. Take it at its best. Say that
the Coroner's verdict is set aside, and a charge of murder against
unknown parties is made--"

"One moment, Mr. Prince," said Carroll. "I shall be one of the first
to insist that this is done, and I have confidence enough in Mrs.
Saltonstall's honest friendship for the Doctor to know that she will
lose no time in pursuing his murderers."

Prince looked at Carroll with a feeling of half envy and half pity. "I
think not," he said, dryly; "for all suspicion points to one man as the
perpetrator, and that man was Mrs. Saltonstall's confidential
servant--the mayordomo, Pereo." He waited for a moment for the effect
of this announcement on Carroll, and then went on: "You now understand
that, even if Mrs. Saltonstall is acquitted of any connivance with or
even knowledge of the deed, she will hardly enjoy the prosecution of
her confidential servant for murder."

"But how can this be prevented? If, as you say, there are actual
proofs, why have they not been acted upon before? What can keep them
from being acted upon now?"

"The proofs have been collected by one man, have been in possession of
one man, and will only pass out of his possession when it is for the
benefit of the legal heir--who does not yet even know of their
existence."

"And who is this one man?"

"Myself."

"You?--You?" said Carroll, advancing towards him. "Then this is YOUR
work!"

"Captain Carroll," said Prince, without