f this deplorable
document. There is a far more alarming reason, sir, than I had supposed
for Mrs. Lecount's behavior to my niece. It is clear to me that Miss
Bygrave resembles some other lady who has seriously offended your
housekeeper--who has been formerly connected, perhaps, with an outbreak
of insanity in your housekeeper--and who is now evidently confused with
my niece in your housekeeper's wandering mind. That is my conviction,
Mr. Vanstone. I may be right, or I may be wrong. All I say is
this--neither you, nor any man, can assign a sane motive for the
production of that incomprehensible document, and for the use which you
are requested to make of it."

"I don't think Lecount's mad," said Noel Vanstone, with a very blank
look, and a very discomposed manner. "It couldn't have escaped me,
with my habits of observation; it couldn't possibly have escaped me if
Lecount had been mad."

"Very good, my dear sir. In my opinion, she is the subject of an insane
delusion. In your opinion, she is in possession of her senses, and has
some mysterious motive which neither you nor I can fathom. Either way,
there can be no harm in putting Mrs. Lecount's description to the test,
not only as a matter of curiosity, but for our own private satisfaction
on both sides. It is of course impossible to tell my niece that she is
to be made the subject of such a preposterous experiment as that note
of yours suggests. But you can use your own eyes, Mr. Vanstone; you
can keep your own counsel; and--mad or not--you can at least tell your
housekeeper, on the testimony of your own senses, that she is wrong. Let
me look at the description again. The greater part of it is not worth
two straws for any purpose of identification; hundreds of young ladies
have tall figures, fair complexions, light brown hair, and light gray
eyes. You will say, on the other hand, hundreds of young ladies have not
got two little moles close together on the left side of the neck. Quite
true. The moles supply us with what we scientific men call a Crucial
Test. When my niece comes downstairs, sir, you have my full permission
to take the liberty of looking at her neck."

Noel Vanstone expressed his high approval of the Crucial Test by
smirking and simpering for the first time that morning.

"Of looking at her neck," repeated the captain, returning the note to
his visitor, and then making for the door. "I will go upstairs myself,
Mr. Vanstone," he continued, "and inspect M