you--and your husband--may
find the future sufficiently bright to atone for the darkness of the
past."

"Thank you," she said gently, and her eyes looked very soft. "At least
my husband and I will never forget that we owe our happiness to you."

And with the words, cordially endorsed by Major Carstairs, ringing in
his ears Anstice left Cherry Orchard and fared forth once more into the
gloomy November night.

As he drove away he told himself that he was truly glad the mystery was
elucidated at last. Yet even as he did so he knew that his own share in
the matter gave him little satisfaction. He felt no elation at the turn
of events. He told himself impatiently that he ought by rights to be
jubilant, since it was owing to his efforts that Tochatti had been
unmasked; but in spite of his honest endeavour to spur his flagging
emotions his heart felt heavy in his breast, and there was no elation in
his soul.

After all, he told himself wearily, the discovery of the truth meant
very little to him. With Mrs. Carstairs the case was widely different;
and he did rejoice, sincerely, in her happiness; but for himself, having
lost Iris Wayne, all lesser events were of very little importance after
all.

"I wonder how Mrs. Carstairs will decide," he said to himself as he
drove homewards. "Whatever her decision I suppose I must abide by it;
but for myself I sincerely hope she will stick to her first view of the
matter."

And then he dismissed the subject from his thoughts for the moment,
little dreaming of the awful and tragic manner in which the decision was
to be taken out of Chloe Carstairs' hands in the course of the next few
hours.

* * * * *

He was just thinking of going to bed that night when the telephone bell
rang sharply; and with one of those strange premonitions to which all
highly-strung people are at times liable, he connected the call
instantly with the affair at Cherry Orchard.

"Yes ... I'm Dr. Anstice ... who is it?"

"Carstairs," came the answer over the wire. "I say, Anstice,
can you come at once? Something appalling has
happened--Tochatti--she--she's----"

"She has killed herself." The words were more of an assertion than a
question.

"Yes ... with that beastly dagger ... found it somehow and stabbed
herself ... what? ... yes ... quite dead ... I'm sure of it...."

"I'll come round at once. Does Mrs. Carstairs know?"

"Yes ... what? ... yes, a dreadful shock, but s