because he hasn't money," remarked the girl
bitterly. "If he were rich and entertained you, you would call him a
delightful man!"

"Dorise! What are you saying? What's the good of life without money?"
queried the widow of the great contractor.

"Everyone can't be rich," the girl averred simply. "I think it's
positively hateful to judge people by their pockets."

"Well, has Hugh written to you?" snapped her mother.

Dorise replied in the negative, stifling a sigh.

"And he isn't likely to. He's probably hiding somewhere. I wonder what
he's done?"

"Nothing. I'm sure of that!"

"Well, I'm not so sure," was her mother's response. "I was chatting
about it to Mr. Sherrard last night, and he's promised to make inquiry."

"Let Mr. Sherrard inquire as much as he likes," cried the girl angrily.
"He'll find nothing against Hugh, except that he's poor."

"H'm! And he's been far too much in your company of late, Dorise. People
were beginning to talk at Monte Carlo."

"Oh! Let them talk, mother! I don't care a scrap. I'm my own mistress!"

"Yes, but I tell you frankly that I'm very glad that we've seen the last
of the fellow."

"Mother! You are really horrid!" cried the girl, rising abruptly and
leaving the table. When out of the room she burst into tears.

Poor girl, her heart was indeed full.

Now it happened that early on that same morning Hugh Henfrey stepped
from a train which had brought him from Aix-la-Chapelle to the Gare du
Nord, in Brussels. He had spent three weeks with the Raveccas, in Genoa,
whence he had travelled to Milan and Bale, and on into Belgium by way of
Germany.

From Lisette he had failed to elicit any further facts concerning his
father's death, though it was apparent that she knew something about
it--something she dared not tell.

On the day following their midnight stroll, he had done all in his power
to induce her to reveal something at least of the affair, but, alas! to
no avail. Then, two days later, she had suddenly left--at orders of The
Sparrow, she said.

Before Hugh left Ravecca had given him eighty pounds in English notes,
saying that he acted at Il Passero's orders, for Hugh would no doubt
need the money, and it would be most dangerous for him to write to his
bankers.

At first Henfrey protested, but, as his funds were nearly exhausted, he
had accepted the money.

As he left the station in Brussels on that bright spring morning and
crossed the busy Place, he was wonderin