tender
inscription to her."

"I--I can't say."

"You mean you won't trust me," said Jennings.

Cuthbert rose quickly and flung off his friend's arm. "I wish to
Heaven I had never opened my mouth to you," he said.

"My dear fellow, you should show more confidence in me. I know quite
well why you won't acknowledge that you gave this photograph to Miss
Saxon. You think it will implicate her in the matter."

"Jennings!" cried Cuthbert, his face growing red and fierce.

"Wait a moment," resumed the other calmly and without flinching. "I
can explain. You gave the photograph to Miss Saxon. She gave it to
Miss Loach, and Susan Grant falling in love with your face, took
possession of it. It was found in her trunk."

"Yes--yes, that's it!" cried Mallow, catching at a straw. "I did give
the photograph to Juliet, and no doubt she gave it to her aunt. It
would be easy for this girl to take it. Though why she should steal
it," said Cuthbert perplexed, "I really can't say!"

"You don't know her?" asked Jennings.

"No. Really, I don't. The name is quite unknown to me. What is the
girl like in appearance?" Jennings described Susan to the best of his
ability, but Cuthbert shook his head. "No, I never saw her. You say
she had this photograph in her trunk?" Then, on receiving an
affirmative reply, "She may have found it lying about and have taken
it, though why she should I can't say."

"So you said before," said Jennings dryly. "But strange as it may
appear, Mallow, this girl is in love with you."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, you see," said Miles, slowly. "After the murder I searched the
boxes of the servants in the house for the weapon."

"But there was no danger of them being accused?"

"No. Nor would I have searched their boxes had they not insisted. But
they were all so afraid of being accused, that they wished to exonerate
themselves as much as possible. The fact that the whole four were in
the kitchen together at the time the crime was committed quite clears
them. However, they insisted, so I looked into their boxes. I found
this photograph in the box of the new housemaid. She refused to state
how it came into her possession, and became so red, and wept so much,
that I soon saw that she loved you."

"But I tell you it's ridiculous. I don't know the girl--and a servant,
too. Pshaw!"

"Well, then, I must get her to see you, and possibly some explanation
may be made. I took possession o