f the
Court and looked out. Here, too, a man--a tall, thick-set man--was
loitering; and as he looked inquisitively into my face I turned and
reentered the Court, slowly retracing my steps. As I again reached the
gate of the house I stopped to look once more at the windows, and
turning I found the man whom I had last noticed close behind me. Then,
in a flash of dreadful comprehension, I understood. These two were
plainclothes policemen.

For a moment a blind fury possessed me. An insane impulse urged me to
give battle to this intruder; to avenge upon this person the insult of
his presence. Fortunately the impulse was but momentary, and I
recovered myself without making any demonstration. But the appearance
of those two policemen brought the peril into the immediate present,
imparted to it a horrible actuality. A chilly sweat of terror stood on
my forehead, and my ears were ringing when I walked with faltering
steps out into Fetter Lane.

CHAPTER XVIII

JOHN BELLINGHAM

The next few days were a very nightmare of horror and gloom. Of
course, I repudiated my acceptance of the decree of banishment that
Ruth had passed upon me. I was her friend, at least, and in time of
peril my place was at her side. Tacitly--though thankfully enough,
poor girl!--she had recognized the fact and made me once more free of
the house.

For there was no disguising the situation. Newspaper boys yelled the
news up and down Fleet Street from morning to night; soul-shaking
posters grinned on gaping crowds; and the newspapers fairly wallowed in
the "Shocking details."

It is true that no direct accusations were made; but the original
reports of the disappearance were reprinted with such comments as made
me gnash my teeth with fury.

The wretchedness of those days will live in my memory until my dying
day. Never can I forget the dread that weighed me down, the horrible
suspense, the fear that clutched at my heart as I furtively scanned the
posters in the streets. Even the wretched detectives who prowled about
the entrances to Nevill's Court became grateful to my eyes, for,
embodying as they did the hideous menace that hung over my dear lady,
their presence at least told me that the blow had not yet fallen.
Indeed, we came, after a time, to exchange glances of mutual
recognition, and I thought that they seemed to be sorry for her and for
me, and had no great liking for their task. Of course, I spent most of
my leisure at