ned it, and
the title-page did tell him all. His worst suspicions were more than
verified. He had been meanly betrayed by the man he had trusted--the
man whom he had thought his dearest friend! The shock stunned him
almost as if it had found him totally unprepared. 'It was Mark, then,'
he said only half aloud, as he put the book down again very gently.

'Ah, so you know him?' said Mr. Fladgate, who stood by smiling.

'He was one of my oldest friends,' replied Vincent, still in a low
voice.

'And you suspected him, eh?' continued the publisher, who was not the
most observant of men.

'He took some pains to put me off the scent,' said Vincent.

'Yes; he kept his secret very well, didn't he? Now, you see, he feels
quite safe in declaring himself--a very brilliant young man, sir. I
congratulate you in finding an old friend in him.'

'I am very fortunate, I know,' said Vincent, grimly.

'Oh, and it will be a pleasant surprise for him too!' said Mr.
Fladgate, 'very pleasant on both sides. Success hasn't spoilt him in
the least--you won't find him at all stuck up!'

'No,' agreed Vincent, 'I don't think I shall. And now perhaps you
will have no objection to give me his present address, and then I
need trouble you no longer at present.'

'I see--you would naturally like to congratulate him!'

'I should like to let him know what I think about it,' said Holroyd.

'Exactly--well, let me see, I _ought_ to have his address somewhere. I
had a letter from him only the other day--did I put it on my file? no,
here it is--yes. "Hotel Rheinfall, Gross Laufingen, Switzerland,"--if
you write to your friend any time this month, it will find him there.'

Vincent took the address down in his notebook and turned to go.

'Good day,' said Mr. Fladgate, 'delighted to have been of any service
to you--by the way, I suppose you saw your friend's'--but before he
could allude to Mark Ashburn's marriage he found himself alone,
Vincent having already taken a somewhat abrupt departure.

He could not trust himself to hear Mark talked of in this pleasant
vein any longer. It had required some effort on his part to restrain
himself when he first knew the truth, and only the consciousness that
his unsupported assertions would do no good had kept him silent. He
would wait to make his claim until he could bring evidence that could
not be disregarded--he would go to Mark Ashburn and force him to give
him an acknowledgment which would carry convicti