ace was partially
covered by a crape mask, through which the eyes gleamed fiercely.

Burden clapped her hand to her mouth to stifle the cry of terror, and,
absolutely incapable of remaining on the spot, fled to her own room and
locked herself in.

Ted raised the window noiselessly and stepped into the corridor. He had
a plan of the house, drawn from Burden's description, and he made
straight for the countess' room. The Parson stood at the bottom of the
ladder on guard. And each man carried a revolver loaded in all six
barrels.

A few minutes before the burglar had so neatly effected his entrance,
the men left the smoking room for the drawing-room--all excepting Lord
Turfleigh, who had taken a soda and brandy with his cigar, and deemed it
prudent to indulge in a little nap before joining the ladies.

Drake was a little less excited than he had been, but he was still
resolved to ask Luce to be his wife, and he meant to take her into the
conservatory, or one of the rooms where they could be alone for a few
minutes. But when he entered the drawing-room she was playing. He went
up to the piano, and, bending over it as if to look at the music,
whispered:

"Will you go into the conservatory presently?"

She nodded, and without raising her eyes, but with a sudden flush. Drake
went across the room to where Lady Angleford and Lady Wolfer were
seated, talking, and the first word he heard was Nell's name.

"Of course it is the same," Lady Wolfer was saying eagerly. "Her brother
was at the engineers, Bardsley & Bardsley! And Nell has been near us all
this time, and in this house, and I didn't know it! If I had, I would
have gone to her at once. She's the dearest and sweetest girl in all the
world, and I owe her----" She stopped and sighed, but not sadly. "She
left us quite suddenly to go to her stepmother, who was a cousin of my
husband's; and I have only seen her once since. They--she and her
brother--were living in one of these large mansions--a dreadfully
crowded and noisy place; but, though they were poor, she seemed quite
happy and contented. I begged her to come and live with me, but she
would not leave her brother--though for that matter we should have been
delighted to have him also, especially if he is anything like her. Oh,
yes, the dearest girl! And you don't know how much I owe her! Some day I
may be tempted to tell you." She sighed again, and was silent for a
moment, as she recalled the scene in her bedroom on t