life's past, casting forward halo encircling the Beyond.

Wistfully gazing toward that tender radiance-location, Oswald is swiftly
borne by a small sail, to where an ocean steamer is anchored. Boarding
the ship, he is assigned to a room. At an early morning hour, the vessel
weighs anchor.

Oswald sees no rational prospect of cleared future destiny, but feels
strangely acquiescent in Fate's opening seals.

CHAPTER XVI

THE FUGITIVES DISGUISED IN LONDON

Hurrying along a narrow street, are three men, two abreast, and one
following apparently unconcerned, but closely watching each movement.
Turning into a dark alley, the pair disappear down a rickety stairway.
Their "shadow" passes across to a small one-story cabin, with
single-light window, commanding a view of that cellar entrance.

Pierre and Paul Lanier, newly disguised, again are in London. Since
their departure from Calcutta, these villains had wandered, making brief
stays at various points, always disguised, never without haunting fears.
Different aliases had been assumed, each new departure having been most
adroitly maneuvered. It seems impossible that such crafty covering of
their doubling trails can baffle pursuit, yet each shrewd move sharpens
apprehension by suggestions of new dangers. This growing bewilderment
and stress of fear had kept them moving in uncertain rounds, varied by
occasional abrupt tangents, until within zone of most heinous crimes,
when drawn by that gravity existent between the criminal and the venue
of his offense, both had landed in London, fearful for the future,
without any decisive purposes or settled convictions as to their lines
of action.

Sir Donald and Esther were absent from England, but Pierre learned that
they had sailed from Calcutta months before. William Dodge had been
released from prison, going somewhere unknown to either Lanier. That
this formerly subservient assistant in crime is now a foe, they cannot
doubt. The desperate, treacherous assault upon husband and wife in
Calcutta ended all hope of further cooeperation between them and their
would-be murderers. Just what line of investigation is being pressed
they only can conjecture. Further scheming to silence any of their
pursuers would not do.

It is sure that there has been no discovery of either Thames victim.
This tragedy is only a reminiscence in London, but that horrible Bombay
tableau and the mysterious disappearance of Agnes Randall can neither be