old ruddy face with a twinkling pair of kindly eyes. In her
heart Mrs. Cairns admired this handsome young man who spoke so politely,
and was more willing to afford him the desired information than if he
had been elderly and ugly. Old as she was, the good lady was a true
daughter of Eve, and her natural liking for the opposite sex had not
been crushed out of her by years of education. Nevertheless when she
heard the name of Anne she threw up her hands in dismay.

"Why do you come here to ask about that unfortunate girl?" she demanded,
and looked severely at Giles. Before he could reply she glanced again at
his card, which she held in her fingers, and started. "Giles Ware," she
read, drawing a quick breath. "Are you----"

"I was engaged to the young lady who was killed," said Ware, surprised.

Mrs. Cairns' rosy face became a deep red. "And you doubtless wish to
avenge her death by finding Miss Denham?"

"On the contrary, I wish to save Miss Denham."

"What! do you not believe her guilty?"

"No, Mrs. Cairns, I do not. Every one says she killed the girl, but I am
certain that she is an innocent woman. I come to ask you if you can tell
me where she is."

"Why do you come to me?" Mrs. Cairns went to see that the door was
closed before she asked this question.

"I thought you might know of her whereabouts."

"Why should I?"

"Well, I admit that there is no reason why you should--at least, I
thought so before I came here."

"And now?" She bent forward eagerly.

"Now I think that if she had come to you for refuge she would get help
from you. I can see that you also believe her guiltless."

"I do," said Mrs. Cairns in a low voice. "I have known Anne for years
and I am certain that she is not the woman to do a thing like this. She
would not harm a fly."

"Then you can help me. You know where she is?"

Mrs. Cairns looked at his flushed face, at the light in his eyes. In
her shrewd way she guessed the secret of this eagerness. "Then you love
her," she said under her breath. "You love Anne."

"Why do you say that?" asked Giles, taken aback. He was not prepared to
find that she could read him so easily.

"I remember," said Mrs. Cairns to herself, but loud enough for him to
hear, "there was a Society paper said something about jealousy being the
motive of the crime, and----"

"Do you mean to say that such a statement was in the papers?" asked Ware
angrily, and with a flash of his blue eyes.

"It was in none of t