u! what a face! And didn't we make her cough
up, too--six thousand!"

"I'm rather sorry for the Michelcoombe woman," remarked Hoggan. "She's a
decent little sort."

"Still believes in you, boy, and looks upon me as a skunk. She has no
idea that you and I are in partnership," he laughed. "We'll get a
thousand or two more out of her yet. Fortunately, she doesn't know the
exact extent of my knowledge of her skittish indiscretions. Say, we
struck lucky when we fell in with her, eh?"

Hoggan reflected. It was certainly a cruel trick to have played upon a
woman. They had met casually in the Rooms at Monte Carlo, then he had
contrived to chat with her, invited her to tea at a famous _cafe_,
strolled with her, dined with her, and within a week had so fascinated
her with his charming manner that she had fallen in love with him, the
result being that Patten, who had watched the pair, suddenly came upon
them, and afterwards demanded hush-money, which he divided with his
friend.

Such instances of blackmail are much more frequent than are supposed.
There is a class of low-down adventurer who haunts the gayer resorts of
Europe, ever on the look-out for young married women who have been
ordered abroad for the benefit of their health, and whose husbands, on
account of their social, Parliamentary, or business duties, cannot
accompany them.

Hunting in couples, they mark down a victim, and while one, giving
himself the airs of wealth, and assuming a title, proceeds to flirt with
the lady, the other carefully watches. Too often a woman at the gay
watering-places of Europe finds the gaiety infectious and behaves
indiscreetly; too often she flirts with the good-looking young stranger
until, suddenly surprised in compromising circumstances, she realises
that her husband must never know, and is filled with fear lest he may
discover how she has allowed herself to be misled.

Then comes the blackmailer's chance. A hint that it would be better to
pay than court exposure generally has the desired effect, with the
result that the woman usually pawns what jewellery she possesses, and
pays up.

Many an unfortunate woman, though perfectly innocent of having committed
any wrong, has paid up, and even been driven to suicide rather than
allow the seeds of suspicion to be sown in her husband's heart.

It was so in Lady Michelcoombe's case. She was a sweet little woman,
daughter of a well-known earl, and married to Viscount Michelcoombe, a
man