spired with my daughter to
contract an illegal marriage!" barked the Earl, instantly dropping the
repose of Vere de Vere.

"John Delancy Curtis, at any rate," said Curtis gravely. "As your
son-in-law, may I remark that a few minutes' conversation with a lawyer
will enable you to correct two misstatements in the rest of your
description? There was no conspiracy, and the ceremony was
unquestionably legal."

The Earl gave him one searching and envenomed look, and appealed
forthwith to the detective.

"I charge that man with abduction and personation," he cried, and his
voice grew husky with wrath. "There can be no gainsaying the facts.
My daughter, it is true, had arranged a marriage with a Monsieur Jean
de Courtois. It was provisionally fixed to take place this evening at
eight o'clock, but, by some means not known to me, the marriage license
came into the hands of this admitted law-breaker, and he evidently
persuaded a foolish and impetuous girl to accept him instead of de
Courtois. I am not an authority on the laws of the State of New York,
but I stake my reputation on the belief that a flagrant offense has
been committed against the social ordinances of any well regulated
community. I now call on you to arrest him, or, if official process is
needed, to direct me to the proper authority."

"Have you any proof of the charge?" said Steingall, who had not failed
to observe Curtis's air of unconcern under the Earl's fiery
denunciation.

"Proof in plenty," came the snarling answer. "I have seen the license
and the signed register, and Monsieur de Courtois is known to me
personally. Besides, have you not this rascal's own admission?"

"Why omit the equally damning evidence of conspiracy?" demanded Curtis.

"What do you mean, you, you----"

"Interloper. How will that serve? It was you who spoke of conspiring,
though I grant you seem to have dropped that item of the indictment.
But Mr. Steingall, as representing the law, should hear the full tale
of villainy. If your lordship will produce de Courtois's letters,
cablegrams, and wireless messages to yourself and your confederate,
Count Ladislas Vassilan, he will begin to appreciate the true bearing
of a rather intricate inquiry."

It was a chance shot, but it went home. Curtis had not spent ten years
in counteracting Manchu scheming and duplicity without arriving at
certain basic principles in laying bare the methods of double-dealing,
and the Earl of Vall