is casuistic," he commented, "but that defect is pardonable. After
all, it is not absolutely mendacious, like a War Office telegram. Winter,
go and bring joy to the heart of some penny-a-liner by giving him that
item. The 'coincidence' will ensure its acceptance by every morning paper
in London, and you can safely leave the reporter himself to add details
about Mr. Hume's connection with the Stowmarket affair."

The detective rose.

"Will you be here when I come back, sir?" he asked.

"I expect so. In any case, you must follow on to my chambers. To-night we
will concert our plan of campaign."

Margaret entered, with Helen and the two men. Robert limped somewhat.

"How d'ye do, Brett?" he cried cheerily. "That beggar hurt me more than I
imagined at the time. He struck a tendon in my left leg so hard that it is
quite painful now."

Brett gave an answering smile, but his thoughts did not find utterance.
How strange it was that two men, so widely dissimilar as Robert and the
vendor of newspapers, should insist on the skill, the unerring certainty,
of their opponent.

"Mrs. Capella," he said, wheeling round upon the lady, "when you lived in
London or on the Continent did you ever include any Japanese in the circle
of your acquaintances?"

"Yes," was the reply.

Margaret was white, her lips tense, the brilliancy of her large eyes
almost unnatural.

"Tell me about them."

"What can I tell you? They were bright, lively little men. They amused my
friends by their quaint ideas, and interested us at times by recounting
incidents of life in the East."

"Were they all 'little'? Was one of them a man of unusual stature?"

"No," said Margaret

The barrister knew that she was profoundly distressed.

"If she would be candid with me," he mused, "I would tear the heart from
this mystery to-night."

One other among those present caught the hidden drift of this small
colloquy. Robert Frazer looked sadly at his cousin. Natures that are
closely allied have an electric sympathy. He could not even darkly discern
the truth, but he connected Brett's words in some remote way with Capella.
How he loathed the despicable Italian who left his wife to bear alone the
trouble that oppressed her--who only went away in order to concoct some
villainy against her.

Margaret could not face the barrister's thoughtful, searching gaze. She
stood up--like the others of her race when danger threatened. She even
laughed harshly.

"I have de