they listened to that suggestive declamation, neither cared for
another sail on the lake. Those oddly tinted pictures, combining in
tragic intermingled groupings blending lights and shades of lake and
river, pass before their soul sights with ever-varying hues.

Neither Sir Donald nor Oswald Langdon has written. London detective
bureau has lost all clews to whereabouts of the Laniers.

Sir Donald cannot locate either William or Mary Dodge. The lagging
justice momentum is at full stop.

Those red-handed villains continue their insolent defiance of outraged
law. For more than a generation one victim has been waiting avenging.
Still the murdered ward lifts unavailing hands toward brassy heavens,
imploring just reckoning upon her brutal slayer. Over earth and sea, in
unmerited exile, wanders an unfortunate victim of lying circumstance,
fearless to a fault of personal harm, yet bound by filial fetters in
unswerving fealty to family prestige and parental name. Doting father
and mother sit around a desolate hearth, helpless to help, powerless to
temper or withdraw the barbed arrow which has transfixed their souls.
Tenderly fostered, idolized daughter, modestly brilliant, grandly human,
with strong, sweet penchant toward self-sacrifice and for lowly,
unassuming ministry, yet love-loyal to banished suitor, must bide
uncertain issues, enduring that heartsickness which may find no
specific.

These rasping human paradoxes are warrant for much bewildering thought.
At such even Sir Donald Randolph's speculative, complacent optimism well
may stagger.

How ironical seems talk of "time's compensation"! Who now may prate,
"Evil is good misunderstood"? Surely such cogent blending requires some
powerfully focalized far observatory height!

As to London detective tactics, Sir Donald is becoming pessimistic. To
Esther he says: "Indeed, there is little in results to justify further
employment of this much vaunted agency. That there have been
perplexities I am fully aware. Having given the subject such careful
thought, I am not disposed either to minimize obstacles or to cavil at
well-meant efforts.

"Upon review of incidents in this fruitless pursuit, I am impressed with
the fact that all clews obtained came from your infatuation for hungry
or sick people. The Paris hospital confession, finding of Mary Dodge in
Calcutta suburb seclusion, revelations of this unhappy sufferer from
Lanier subornation, and saving of both intended victims