l to
know that he was not faithful even to his lifelong friendship with Mr.
Holymead."

"Your nerves are unstrung," he said. "You want rest and quiet--you want a
long sea voyage."

"Yes, I want to forget," she said. "But there are others who want to
forget, too. Cannot we bury the whole thing in forgetfulness?"

Crewe's growing interest in the chessboard and his problem suddenly
vanished. His eyes became instantly riveted on her face in a keen,
questioning look.

"What is it to me or you that Mr. Holymead should be publicly proved
guilty of this terrible thing?" she went on, passionately. "Why drag into
the light my father's conduct in order to make a day's sensation for the
newspapers? For his sake, what better thing could I do than let his
memory rest?"

"Do you mean that Holymead should be allowed to go free?" he asked, in
astonishment.

"Yes."

"I'm extremely sorry," he said slowly.

"Won't you let it all drop?" she pleaded.

"I could not take upon myself the responsibility of condoning such a
crime--the responsibility of judging between your father and his
murderer," he said solemnly. "But even if I could it is too late to think
of doing so. There is already a warrant out for Holymead's arrest"

CHAPTER XXIX

The newspapers made a sensation out of the announcement of Holymead's
arrest on a charge of having murdered Sir Horace Fewbanks. They declared
that the arrest of the eminent K.C. on a capital charge would come as a
surprising development of the Riversbrook case. It would cause a shock to
his many friends, and especially to those who knew what a close
friendship had existed between the arrested man and the dead judge. The
papers expatiated on the fact that Holymead had appeared for the defence
when Frederick Birchill had been tried for the murder. As the public
would remember, Birchill had been acquitted owing to the great ability
with which his defence was conducted.

It was somewhat remarkable, said the _Daily Record_, that in his speech
for the defence Holymead had attempted to throw suspicion on one of the
witnesses for the prosecution. The journal hinted that it was the result
of something which Counsel for the defence had let drop at this trial
that Inspector Chippenfield had picked up the clue which had led to
Holymead's arrest. The papers had very little information to give the
public about this new development of the Fewbanks mystery, but they
boldly declared that some startlin