ntley," he murmured, his voice very faint and exhausted now. "You are
my heir, Justin. All that I have--I set all in order ere I left Paris.
It--it is growing dark. You have not snuffed the candles, Bentley. They
are burning very low."

Suddenly he started forward, held as he was in Justin's arms. He
half-raised his arms, holding out his hands toward the foot of the bed.
His eyes dilated; the expression of his livid face grew first surprised,
then joyous--beatific. "Antoinette!" he cried in a loud voice. "Antoi--"

And thus, abruptly, but in great happiness, he passed.

CHAPTER XVII. AMID THE GRAVES

What time Sir Richard had been dying in the inner room, Mr. Green and
two of his acolytes had improved the occasion by making a thorough
search in Sir Richard's writing-table and a thorough investigation of
every scrap of paper found there. From which you will understand how
much Mr. Green was a gentleman who set business above every other
consideration.

The man who had shot Sir Richard had been ordered by Mr. Green to take
himself off, and had been urged to go down on his knees, for once in
a way, and pray Heaven that his rashness might not bring him to the
gallows as he so richly deserved.

His fourth myrmidon Mr. Green had dispatched with a note to my Lord
Rotherby, and it was entirely upon the answer he should receive that it
must depend whether he proceeded or not, forthwith, to the apprehension
of Mr. Caryll. Meanwhile the search went on amain, and was extended
presently to the very bedroom where the dead Sir Richard lay. Every
nook and cranny was ransacked; the very mattress under the dead man was
removed, and investigated, and even Mr. Caryll and Bentley had to
submit to being searched. But it all proved fruitless. Not a line of
treasonable matter was to be found anywhere. To the certificates upon
Mr. Caryll the searcher made the mistake of paying but little heed in
view of their nature.

But if there were no proofs of plots and treasonable dealings, there
was, at least, abundant proof of Sir Richard's identity, and Mr. Green
appropriated these against any awkward inquiries touching the manner in
which the baronet had met his death.

Of such inquiries, however, there were none. It was formally sworn
to Lord Carteret by Green and his men that the secretary's messenger,
Jerry--the fellow owned no surname--had shot Sir Richard in
self-defence, when Sir Richard had produced firearms upon being arrested