? What was his name--Morrison? No--Middleway--I have
heard it."

"May I ask, Miss Omar"--I didn't have to see his face; his voice told
how mad with rage he was--"how you come to be acquainted with a matter
that only the contracting parties could possibly know of?"

"Why, they can't have kept it very secret, the old lady and the young
rascal who was after her money, for you see we both knew of it; and I
wasn't the bride and you certainly weren't the groom, were you?"

An exclamation burst from him.

"Mr. Latimer," he stormed, "may I see you a moment alone?"

Phew! That meant me. But I got up just the same.

"Just keep your seat, Miss Omar." Oh, that silken voice of Latimer's!
"Mr. Moriway, I have absolutely no acquaintance with you. I never saw
you till to-night. I can't imagine what you may have to say to me,
that my secretary--Miss Omar acts in that capacity--may not hear."

"I want to say," burst from Moriway, "that she looks the image of the
boy Nat, who stole Mrs. Kingdon's diamonds, that the voice is exactly
the same, that--"

"But you have said it, Mr. Moriway--quite successfully intimated it, I
assure you."

"She knows of my--of Mrs. Kingdon's marriage, that that boy Nat found
out about."

"And you yourself also, as Miss Omar mentioned."

"Myself? Damn it, I'm Moriway, the man she was going to marry. Why
shouldn't I--"

"Ah--h!" Latimer's shoulders shook with a gentle laugh. "Well, Mr.
Moriway, gentlemen don't swear in my garden. Particularly when ladies
are present. Shall we say good evening? Here comes Mulhill now....
Nothing, Sergeant? Too bad the rogue escaped, but you'll catch him.
They may get away from you, but they never stay long, do they? Good
evening--good evening, Mr. Moriway."

They tramped on and out, Moriway's very back showing his rage. He
whispered something to the Sergeant, who turned to look at me but shook
his head, and the gate clanged after them.

A long sigh escaped me.

"Warm, isn't it?" Latimer leaned forward. "Now, would you mind
ringing again, Miss Omar?"

I bent and groped for the bell and rang it twice.

"How quick you are to learn!" he said. "But I really wanted the light
this time.... Just light up, Burnett," he called to the man, who had
come out on the porch.

The electric bulb flashed out again just over my head. Latimer turned
and looked at me. When I couldn't bear it any longer, I looked
defiantly up at him.

"Pardon," he said, smi