after, when she had left her
place, and was living in lodgings provided for her by Maddox, when she
had found the ring in the drawer of his desk; her suspicion had then
been first excited by his displeasure at her proposing to him to
return it, thinking it merely there by accident, and she had afterwards
observed him endeavouring to copy fragments of Mr. Williams's writing.
These he had crushed up and thrown aside, but she had preserved them,
owning that she did not know what might come of them, and the family had
been very kind to her.

The seal and the scraps of paper were here produced by the policeman
who had them in charge. The seal perfectly coincided with that which had
closed the letter to Harry Beauchamp, and was, moreover, identified by
both Alison and Colonel Keith. It was noticeable, too, that one of these
fragments was the beginning of a note to Mr. Beauchamp, as "Dear H." and
this, though not Edward's most usual style of addressing his friend, was
repeated in the demand for the L300.

"Sir," said the accused, "of course I have no intention of intimating
that a gentleman like the Honourable Colonel Keith has been in any
collusion with this unhappy woman, but it must be obvious to you that
his wish to exonerate his friend has induced him to give too easy
credence to this person's malignant attempts to fasten upon one whom
she might have had reason to regard as a benefactor the odium of the
transactions that she acknowledges to have taken place between herself
and this Maddox, thereto incited, no doubt, by some resemblance which
must be strong, since it has likewise deceived Mr. Beauchamp."

Mr. Grey looked perplexed and vexed, and asked Mr. Beauchamp if he could
suggest any other person able to identify Maddox. He frowned, said there
must have been workmen at the factory, but knew not where they were,
looked at Colin Keith, asked Alison if she or her sister had ever seen
Maddox, then declared he could lay his hands on no one but Dr. Long at
Belfast.

Mauleverer vehemently exclaimed against the injustice of detaining him
till a witness could be summoned from that distance. Mr. Grey evidently
had his doubts, and began to think of calling in some fresh opinion
whether he had sufficient grounds for committal, and Alison's hopes were
only unstained by Colin's undaunted looks, when there came a knock at
the door, and, as much to the surprise of Alison as of every one else,
there entered an elderly maid-servan