_Daily Telegraph_, sent to Mrs. Moody
occasionally by a sister in London; and Toni was idly turning the clumsy
sheets when a name she knew attracted her attention.

She scanned the paragraph hurriedly a little pulse beating in her temple
as she read.

"We learn on good authority that the famous portrait-painter Mr.
James Herrick, better known as Mr. Herrick Vyse, has accepted a
commission to paint the two beautiful daughters of Lord and Lady
Tregarthen at their historic home in Cornwall. The young subjects,
who are twins, are only nine years of age, but are ranked among the
loveliest of England's many beautiful children, and doubtless the
artist will do their childish beauty full justice. Mr. Herrick has
already left his picturesque bungalow on the Thames for Tregarthen
House, where he will be the guest of Lord and Lady Tregarthen
during the painting of the portrait."

The paper fell from Toni's hands and the light of a great inspiration
flashed into her face.

Lately she had longed, with ever-increasing intensity, for some
authentic news of Owen. She felt she would give all she had in the world
to hear that he was well, that her flight had not ruined his life; but
she had no means of finding out anything without running the risk of
giving away the secret of her own hiding-place.

She had sometimes thought of writing to Eva Herrick, binding her to the
strictest secrecy, and imploring her, for the sake of their old
friendship, to give her the information she craved. But there were so
many drawbacks to the plan. Her letter might easily fall into Herrick's
hands, and though the contents would be sacred to him, the Italian
postmark would be enough to betray her whereabouts.

But now, during Herrick's absence, she might surely risk sending Eva a
letter. She felt pretty certain that Mrs. Herrick would not give away
her secret. By this time Toni was quite able to appreciate the part Eva
Herrick had played in her unfortunate escapade; and she realised, very
plainly, that Eva's unhappy desire to ruin other lives as hers had been
ruined, had been at the bottom of her eager sympathy and pretended help.

Even now Eva would doubtless seek to prevent any real reconciliation
between husband and wife; and in any case Toni felt that she must take
the risk; she must have news, hear how Owen had taken her flight; and
surely Eva would not refuse to answer her letter.

She wrote it