e marked me down. Why, then, had he come? I
remembered that some of the most precious gems in Europe had been under
my charge, and I remembered also the ingenious excuses by which this
man had made himself familiar with the cases in which they were kept.
He was a rascal who was planning some gigantic robbery. How could I,
without striking my own daughter, who was infatuated about him, prevent
him from carrying out any plan which he might have formed? My device
was a clumsy one, and yet I could think of nothing more effective. If
I had written a letter under my own name, you would naturally have
turned to me for details which I did not wish to give. I resorted to
an anonymous letter, begging you to be upon your guard.

"I may tell you that my change from Belmore Street to Norwood had not
affected the visits of this man, who had, I believe, a real and
overpowering affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have
believed that any woman could be so completely under the influence of a
man as she was. His stronger nature seemed to entirely dominate her.
I had not realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the
confidence which existed between them, until that very evening when his
true character for the first time was made clear to me. I had given
orders that when he called he should be shown into my study instead of
to the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I knew all about
him, that I had taken steps to defeat his designs, and that neither I
nor my daughter desired ever to see him again. I added that I thanked
God that I had found him out before he had time to harm those precious
objects which it had been the work of my life-time to protect.

"He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took my remarks without a
sign either of surprise or of defiance, but listened gravely and
attentively until I had finished. Then he walked across the room
without a word and struck the bell.

"'Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this way,' said he to the
servant.

"My daughter entered, and the man closed the door behind her. Then he
took her hand in his.

"'Elise,' said he, 'your father has just discovered that I am a
villain. He knows now what you knew before.'

"She stood in silence, listening.

"'He says that we are to part for ever,' said he.

"She did not withdraw her hand.

"'Will you be true to me, or will you remove the last good influence
which is ever likely to come into my life