s suppressed, or else you bar his way to some ambitious
achievement."

Her face changed, and she held her breath. Though it was only for a
second I saw that what I had suggested was the truth. Her slim white
hand twitched nervously upon her lap.

"Some fact concerning Mr. De Gex!" she gasped in feigned surprise.
"Who told you that!" she asked, her face blanching.

"I have not been told. But I know it, Mrs. Cullerton," was my reply.
"I know that, though De Gex is assisting your husband out of a
financial difficulty and pretends to be your good friend, he views you
as his bitter enemy--as a person whose lips must, at all hazards, be
closed."

"Really, Mr. Garfield, what you say is too extraordinary--too amazing!
I don't understand you!"

"I know it sounds most extraordinary," I said. "But first tell me if
you know a certain Doctor Moroni, who lives in the Via Cavezzo?"

"Certainly. The doctor attends Mr. De Gex and his family. I first met
him in London, about a year ago. Mr. De Gex holds him in very high
esteem."

"Ah! Then you know the doctor."

"Of course. When he was in London he several times came to our house
in Fitzjohn's Avenue."

"And your husband knows him?" I asked, looking her straight in the
face. "Please tell me the truth," I urged.

"No. Jack has never met him--not to my knowledge."

I was silent for a few seconds. I had established a fact which I had
all along suspected.

"Then he called in the daytime, when your husband was in the
City--eh?"

"Yes."

"Now tell me, did you ever have any strange illness after Doctor
Moroni had called?" I inquired very seriously.

"Illness? Why, no! Why do you ask such a curious question?"

"I have reasons for asking it, Mrs. Cullerton," was my reply. "I have
called here as your friend, remember."

"But all this is most bewildering," she exclaimed with a nervous
little laugh. "Why should I be in any personal peril?"

"Because you know something to the detriment of that wealthy and
somewhat eccentric man," I replied. "Pardon me if I put another
question to you. Are you acquainted with a girl named Gabrielle
Engledue?"

"Gabrielle Engledue?" she repeated. "No, I have never heard the name.
I know a Gabrielle--Gabrielle Tennison--an old schoolfellow of mine."

"A tall, dark-haired girl?"

"Yes, she is rather tall, and dark-haired."

"Isn't her real name Engledue?" I asked quickly.

"Not to my knowledge."

"Is she not Mr. De Gex's niece?"

"He h