ht work for a lifetime to secure. Yet where a little confidence
would give me zest for my work--would take away this horrible sense of
moving always in the darkness--it is withheld from me."

Ray smoked on in silence for several moments.

"Well," he said, "I am not sure that you are altogether unreasonable.
But, on the other hand, you must not forget that there is method, and a
good deal of it, in the very things of which you complain. There are
certain positions in which a man may find himself where a measure of
ignorance is a blessed thing. Believe me, that if you understood, your
difficulties would increase instead of diminish."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"But between you and me at least, Colonel Ray," I said, "there is a
plain issue. You can explain the events of last night to me."

"I will do that," he answered, "since you have asked it. Briefly, then,
I parted from you on the steps of my club at a few minutes past nine
last night."

"Yes!"

"I saw from the moment we appeared that you were being watched. I saw
the man who was loitering on the pavement lean over to hear the address
you gave to the cabman, and you were scarcely away before he was
following you. But it was only just as he drove by, leaning a little
forward in his hansom, that I saw his face. I recognized him for one of
that woman's most dangerous confederates, and I knew then that some
villainy was on foot. To cut a long story short, I came down unobserved
in your train, followed you to Braster Grange, and was only a yard or
two behind when this fellow, who acts as the woman's _chauffeur_, sprang
out upon you. I was unfortunately a little two quick to the rescue, and
received a smash on the head from your stick. Then you bolted, and I
found myself engaged with a pair of them. On the whole I think that
they got the worst of it."

"The other one--was Lord Blenavon!" I exclaimed.

"It was."

"Then he is concerned in the plots which are going on against us," I
continued. "I felt certain of it. What a blackguard!"

"For his sister's sake," Colonel Ray said softly, "I want to keep him
out of it if I can. Therefore I hit him a little harder than was
necessary. He should be hors de combat for some time."

"But why didn't you cry out to me?" I said. "I should not have run if I
had known that I had an ally there."

"To run was exactly what I wanted you to do," Ray answered. "You had
the dispatch-box, and I wanted to see you safe away."

I glan