de for herself. I think it will
be--this person."

Mrs. Willoughby clasped her hands, and looked up with a pretty little
expression of horror.

"And do you know, dear," added Ethel, "I'm beginning to think that it
wouldn't be so _very_ bad. He's Lord Hawbury's friend, you know, and
then he's very, very brave; and, above all, think what we all owe
him."

Mrs. Willoughby gave a resigned sigh.

And now the Baron was wilder with impatience than ever. He had
questioned Dacres, and found that he could give him no information
whatever as to Tozer's route, and consequently had no idea where to
search. But he still had boundless confidence in "Yankee Doodle."

"That's the way," said Dacres; "we heard it ever so far, and it was
the first thing that told us it was safe to return. We didn't dare to
venture before."

Meanwhile Hawbury had got Dacres by himself, and poured a torrent of
questions over him. Dacres told him in general terms how he was
captured. Then he informed him how Mrs. Willoughby was put in the same
room, and his discovery that it was Minnie that the Italian wanted.

"Well, do you know, old chap," continued Dacres, "I couldn't stand it;
so I offered to make it all up with her."

"Oh, I see you've done that, old boy. Congrat--"

"Pooh! wait a minute," said Dacres, interrupting him. "Well, you know,
she wasn't my wife at all."

At this Hawbury stood utterly aghast.

"What's that?"

"She wasn't my wife at all. She looks confoundedly like what my wife
was at her best, but she's another person. It's a most extraordinary
likeness; and yet she's isn't any relation, but a great deal prettier
woman. What made me so sure, you know, was the infernally odd
coincidence of the name; and then I only saw her off and on, you know,
and I never heard her voice. Then, you know, I was mad with jealousy;
and so I made myself worse and worse, till I was ripe for murder,
arson, assasination, and all that sort of thing, you know."

To all this Hawbury listened in amazement, and could not utter a word,
until at last, as Dacres paused, he said,

"By Jove!"

"Well, old man, I was the most infernal ass that ever lived. And how I
must have bored you!"

"By Jove!" exclaimed Hawbury again. "But drive on, old boy."

"Well, you know, the row occurred just then, and away went the
scoundrels to the fight, and in came that parson fellow, and away we
went. I took Mrs. Willoughby to a safe place, where I kept her till I
heard the