sbridge, there was still half an hour to be
passed, so he turned eastward, and walked the length of Piccadilly. Now
at length Alma's fate was decided; the concert drew to its close. In
anxiety to learn how things had gone with her, he all but forgot Hugh
Carnaby, until, just as he was about to hail a cab for the purpose of
bringing Alma from the Hall, his eye fell on a fresh newspaper placard,
which gave its largest type to the Wimbledon affair, and promised a
'Startling Revelation'. He bought the paper, and read. It had become
known, said the reporter, that the gentleman who, on his own avowal,
had caused Mr. Redgrave's death, was Mr. H. Carnaby, resident at Oxford
and Cambridge Mansions. The rumour that Mr. Carnaby had presented
himself to the authorities was unfounded; as a matter of fact, the
police had heard nothing from him, and could not discover his
whereabouts. As to the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Redgrave's
housekeeper--Mrs. Lant by name--nothing new could be learnt. Mrs. Lant
had left all her personal belongings, and no one seemed able to
conjecture a reason for her conduct.

Harvey folded up the paper, and crushed it into his pocket. He felt no
surprise; his brooding on possibilities had prepared him for this
disclosure, and, from the moment that his fears were confirmed, he
interpreted everything with a gloomy certainty. Hugh's fatal violence
could have but one explanation, and that did not come upon Harvey with
the shock of the incredible. Neither was he at any loss to understand
why Hugh had failed to surrender himself. Ere-long the newspapers would
rejoice in another 'startling revelation', which would make the tragedy
complete.

In this state of mind he waited for Alma's coming forth. She was
punctual as she had promised. At the first sight of her he knew that
nothing disagreeable had befallen, and this was enough. As soon as the
cab drove off with them he looked an inquiry.

'All well,' she answered, with subdued exultation. 'Wait till you see
the notices.'

Her flushed face and dancing eyes told that she was fresh from
congratulation and flattery. Harvey could not spoil her moment of
triumph by telling what he had just learnt. She wished to talk of
herself, and he gave her the opportunity.

'Many people?'

'A very good hall. They say such an audience at a first recital has
hardly ever been known.'

'You weren't nervous?'

'I've often been far more when I played in a drawing-room; and I