ustees seem to have learnt recently, that there
was an undiscovered time limit. He threw out hints to his niece, hints
which were received rather coldly. He had taken the bold step of
employing Frank Doughton to discover--himself! That was a move which had
a twofold purpose. It kept the young man in contact with him. It also
satisfied the other trustees, who had entrusted to Farrington the task
of employing the necessary measures to discover the missing heir.

"But neither hint nor suggestion served him. The girl's fortune was due
for delivery to her care, and his guardianship expired almost at the
same time as the time limit for discovery of the Tollington millionaire
came to an end. He had to take a desperate step; there were other
reasons, of course, contributing to his move.

"The knowledge that he was suspected by me, the certainty that Lady
Constance Dex would betray him, once she discovered that he had sent her
lover to his death, all these were contributing factors, but the main
reason for his disappearance was the will that was read after his bogus
death.

"In that will he conveyed unchallengeable instructions for the girl to
marry Frank Doughton without delay. I suspect that the girl now knows he
is alive. Probably, panic-stricken by her tardiness, he has disclosed
his hand so far as the alleged death is concerned."

T. B. looked out of the window on to the stream of life which was
flowing east and west along Piccadilly; his face was set in a little
frown of doubt and anxiety.

"I can take Farrington to-morrow if I want to," he said after a moment,
"but I wish to gather up every string of organization in my hands."

"What of Lady Constance Dex?" asked Ela. "Whilst we are waiting, she is
in some little danger."

T. B. shook his head.

"If she is not dead now," he said simply, "she will be spared. If
Farrington wished to kill her--for Farrington it was who spirited her
away--he could have done so in the house; no one would have been any the
wiser as to the murderer. Lady Constance must wait; we must trust to
luck before I inspect that underground chamber of which I imagine she is
at present an unwilling inmate. I want to crush this blackmailing
force," he said, thumping the table with energy; "I want to sweep out of
England the whole organization which is working right under the nose of
the police and in defiance of all laws; and until I have done that, I
shall not sleep soundly in my bed."

"And Polt