he scar I deny," he replied, unblushingly; "and as for the bit of
paper, if you can find any one in these parts who can prove that the
signature thereto was written by this hand belonging to this person now
sitting before you, you will accomplish something more wonderful than
finding me out here." And he laughed in his old boisterous way.

"The more difficult, I daresay," replied I, as I fixed a pretty
inquisitive gaze on him, "that you have a duplicate to your real name of
Charles Rogers."

"'Tis a lie!" he exclaimed. "My father was--was--yes--an artist in
Bologna--the cleverest magician in Italy."

"And that is the reason," said I calmly, "that your brother the doctor
works his tricks so cleverly at the Moated Grange."

Subtle officers accomplish much by attacks of surprise--going home with
a fact known to the criminal to be true, but supposed by him to be
unknown to all the world besides. I had acted on this principle, and the
effect was singular. His tongue, which had laid in a stock of nervous
fluid for roaring like a steam-boiler a little opened, was palsied. He
turned on me a blank look; then, directing his eye to the woman, "You
infernal hag," he exclaimed, "all this comes from you!"

"I deny it," said the woman, as she left his side and came round to
mine. "But I now know, what I always suspected, that you are a villain.
Sir," she continued, "this man, and his brother Dr. Rogers, prevailed
upon me to give them a paper, to enable them to get out of Colonel
Graeme the money he won from my husband. I believe they have got it, and
that they are keeping it from me."

"They have not got it," said I, "and never will. The money is yours, and
will be paid to you, if to any."

"Thank God!" she exclaimed. "No good could come out of the designs of
this man and his brother. They made it up to terrify the colonel"----

A look from the man stopped her; but the broken sentence was to me a
volume. They sat and looked lightnings at each other; and I contented
myself with thinking, that when a rotten tree splits, bears catch honey.

"Oh, I'm not to be frightened," she continued, as she gathered up
courage to dare the villain. "I will tell all about the ten of diamonds
which I heard made up between them."

"You most haggard of all haggard hags!" cried the man, as his fury rose,
"do you know, that while I could have got you this money, I can cut you
out of it? Was it the loss of the money, think ye, that made the
wretche