the door he showed me at once to the
study, a room which lay at the back of the big drawing-room.

"Sir Bernard is in, sir," the page said. "I'll tell him at once you're
here," and he closed the door, leaving me alone.

I walked towards the window, which looked out upon a small flower
garden, and in so doing, passed the writing table. A sheet of foolscap
lay upon it, and curiosity prompted me to glance at it.

What I saw puzzled me considerably; for beside the paper was a letter
of my own that I had sent him on the previous day, while upon the
foolscap were many lines of writing in excellent imitation of my own!

He had been practising the peculiarities of my own handwriting. But
with what purpose was a profound mystery.

I was bending over, closely examining the words and noting how
carefully they had been traced in imitation, when, of a sudden, I
heard a voice in the drawing-room adjoining--a woman's voice.

I pricked my ears and listened--for the eccentric old fellow to
entertain was most unusual. He always hated women, because he saw too
much of their wiles and wilfulness as patients.

Nevertheless it was apparent that he had a lady visitor in the
adjoining room, and a moment later it was equally apparent that they
were not on the most friendly terms; for, of a sudden, the voice
sounded again quite distinctly--raised in a cry of horror, as though
at some sudden and terrible discovery.

"Ah! I see--I see it all now!" shrieked the unknown woman. "You have
deceived me! Coward! You call yourself a man--you, who would sell a
woman's soul to the devil!"

"Hold your tongue!" cried a gruff voice which I recognised as Sir
Bernard's. "You may be overheard. Recollect that your safety can only
be secured by your secrecy."

"I shall tell the truth!" the woman declared.

"Very well," laughed the man who was my chief in a tone of defiance.
"Tell it, and condemn yourself."

CHAPTER XV.

I AM CALLED FOR CONSULTATION.

The incident was certainly a puzzling one, for when, a few minutes
later, my chief entered the study, his face, usually ashen grey, was
flushed with excitement.

"I've been having trouble with a lunatic," he explained, after
greeting me, and inquiring why I had come down to consult him. "The
woman's people are anxious to place her under restraint; yet, for the
present, there is not quite sufficient evidence of insanity to sign
the certificate. Did you overhear her in the next room?" And, sea