l, you are taking the surest way
to create one by interfering with the movements of myself and my
companion. This young lady is my friend, and, as I have already told
you, under my protection; as her attorney, also, I shall stand no
nonsense, I assure you."

"Beg pardon, sir; but I'm only trying to obey orders," apologized the
official. "But would you have the goodness to tell me this young
lady's name."

At any other time and under any other circumstances Mr. Bryant would
have resented this inquiry as an impertinence; but it occurred to him
that an appearance of frankness and compliance might save them further
inconvenience.

"Certainly," he responded, with the utmost cheerfulness, "this lady's
name is Miss Edith Allandale and she is the daughter of the late
Albert Allandale, of Allandale & Capen, bankers."

"It is all right, sir," said the officer, at last convinced that he
had made a mistake, for Allandale & Capen had been a well-known firm
to him. "You can go on," he added, touching his hat respectfully,
"and I beg pardon for troubling you."

Without more ado he turned away, while Edith and her escort passed on,
but the frightened girl was now trembling in every limb.

"Calm yourself, dear," whispered her companion, involuntarily using
the affectionate term, as he hastened to lead her into the fresh air.
"You are safe, and I will soon have you in a place where your enemies
will never think of looking for you."

He beckoned to the driver of a carriage as he spoke, and in another
minute was assisting Edith into it; then, taking a seat beside her, he
gave the man his order, and as the vehicle moved away in the darkness,
the poor girl began to breathe freely for the first time since
alighting from the train.

Mr. Bryant gave her a little time to recover herself, and then asked
her to tell him all her trouble.

This she was only too glad to do; and, beginning with the death of her
mother, she poured out the whole story of the last three months to
him, dwelling mostly, however, upon the persecutions of Emil Correlli
and the climax to which they had recently attained.

He listened attentively throughout, but interrupting her, now and
then, to ask a pertinent question as it occurred to him.

"I was in despair," Edith finally remarked in conclusion, "until
yesterday, when, by the merest chance, my eye fell upon that
advertisement of yours and it flashed upon me that the best course for
me to pursue would be to