d buried his face in his hands as he offered up a prayer for
the safety of his lost love.

He sprang to his feet. The cottage must be close at hand, and in a few
moments he was opposite the door of the long, low habitation on its
little shelf of the cliff.

All was darker than ever, for the flowing tide had brought with it a
chilling mist, but there was no difficulty in finding Brettison's
window, Barron's being next, at the end of the little house, the nurse
and the owner and his wife occupying rooms on the other side of the
door.

Everyone had retired; and Stratton hesitated, feeling that he must defer
his communication till the morning.

No; impossible. The wife not a hundred feet above where he stood--the
convict husband close at hand, where he in his blindness had brought
him. At all hazards such a critical position must be ended, and he
tapped gently at Brettison's casement.

There was not a sound in answer, and he tapped again and again more
loudly. Then, with a rising sensation of anger that a man could sleep
calmly in the midst of such peril, he was about to tap again when he was
conscious of a faint sound within, and directly after a voice said
softly:

"Who is there?"

"I--Stratton."

The fastening grated, and the window was thrown open.

"What is it?" whispered Brettison; "are you ill?"

"Yes; sick at heart. We must be off at once."

"Hist! speak lower! there is only the closed door between my room and
his," whispered Brettison, "and he is restless to-night. I've heard him
move and mutter. In Heaven's name, what is it--the police on the
scent?"

"Would that they were waiting to take him off this moment, man,"
whispered Stratton. "Myra and her father are here."

"You're mad."

"Yes. But they are in the house above."

"They--the newcomers just arrived?"

"Yes. I thought I saw Guest and Edie to-night in the darkness. I was
going to tell you, but I felt ashamed, thinking you would say what you
did just now. But I have met Guest since, and spoken with him. Five
minutes ago I heard Sir Mark speaking."

"Great Heavens!" gasped Brettison again. "Then we have brought him here
to place wife and husband face to face!"

"Yes," said Stratton hoarsely.

"What is to be done?"

"You must rouse him quietly, and steal out with him. Bring him along
under the cliff close up to the inn. While you are getting him there I
will go and hire a cart by some means to take us to the next place