are the laws of man; and I, as the instrument of
those man-made laws----" He shrugged his shoulders, and threw out both
hands with a sweeping and expressive movement. "Murder has been done,"
he went on. "The law demands a life for a life, and my duty to the law
is to hang the murderer of that man, even though the victim may have
merited death twenty times over and the world be well rid of him.
General"--he swung suddenly away from the chair against which he had all
the time been leaning with his back to it and his face toward the
room--"General, the law demands of the man-hunter that he shall be a
thing of iron, cold, passionless, inflexible, a mere machine for the
carrying out of its mandates, the probing of its riddles, the fulfilment
of its retribution. It allows him to possess no private sentiments, to
make no hero of a murderer, even though his crime be in the interest of
others, and of itself brings good out of evil."

The General looked up at him, awed and silent. A strange and terrible
impressiveness was in Cleek's voice.

"General," he went on after a brief pause, "the bringing to justice of
the Count de Louvisan's murderer must inevitably entail the exposure of
Lady Clavering's secret and yours. That I would spare both you and her,
if I could. The anguish you two have suffered I would let be the only
thing that comes out of this crime if it were mine to say; but I am the
instrument of the law, and I must obey its dictates. I cannot shield the
assassin, and I cannot shield you or her ladyship if this case has to be
brought up before the courts. General, I know the murderer and I know
the motive. It was a great one, that I grant you; and the carrying of it
out was one of craft and cunning.

"As you have guessed, it was Paul Berton, alias St. Ulmer, who committed
both crimes; the killing of the keeper and De Louvisan. As you said just
now, Anatole had been playing a double game, and he had threatened to
throw over Lady Katharine and reveal the truth of the impostorship to
Margot, thus earning his forgiveness from her for the stealing of that
other property, and if possible marrying her and sharing her rule. St.
Ulmer came to the cottage in those few minutes before you and Lady
Clavering put in an appearance. He saw afterward what you did not
see--namely, what De Louvisan did in those few minutes you were absent.
He saw, too, that length of catgut which you dropped, and when you
rushed out, leaving the man unco