him. Of
course, it is an absurd suggestion, but----"

"It is not so absurd as you think, Mr. Headland," she interrupted. "As
it happens, Mr. Carboys did make a will. But that was a very long time
ago before he knew me, so my name did not figure in it at all. He once
told me of the circumstances connected with it. It was executed when he
was about three-and-twenty. It appears that there were some personal
trinkets, relics of his more prosperous days: a set of jewelled
waistcoat buttons, a scarf-pin, a few choice books and things like that,
which he desired Mr. Van Nant to have in the event of his death (they
were then going to the Orient, and times there were troublous); so he
drew up a will, leaving everything he might die possessed of to Mr. Van
Nant, and left the paper with the latter's solicitor when they bade
good-bye to England. So far as I know, that will still exists, Mr.
Headland; so"--here the faintest suggestion of a quiver got into her
voice--"if anything of a tragical nature had happened to him, and--and
the trinkets hadn't disappeared with him, Mr. Van Nant could claim them
all, and I should not have even one poor little token to cherish in
memory of him. And I am sure, I am very sure that if he had known--if he
had thought----"

"Mary, for goodness' sake don't begin to snivel!" chimed in her father
querulously. "It gets on my nerves. And you know very well how I am
suffering! Of course, it was most inconsiderate of Carboys not to
destroy that will as soon as you and he were engaged, but he knew that
marriage invalidates any will a man may have made previously, and--well,
you can't suppose that he ever expected things to turn out as they have
done. Besides, Van Nant would have seen that you got _something_ to
treasure as a remembrance. He's a very decent chap, is Van Nant, Mr.
Headland, although my daughter has never appeared to think so. But
there's no arguing with a woman, any way."

Cleek glanced at Narkom. It was a significant glance, and said as
plainly as so many words: "What do you think of it? You said there was
no motive, and, provided Carboys fell heir to something of which we know
nothing as yet, here are _two_! If that will was destroyed, one man
would, as heir-at-law, inherit; ditto the other man if it was _not_
destroyed and not invalidated by marriage. And here's the 'one' man
singing the praises of the 'other' one!"

"Collusion?" queried Narkom's answering look. "Perhaps," said Cleek's