watching her drive by, or something of that sort. Even a glimpse of her
face would have been sweet.

"But when I arrived one of the first things Wildred did was to tell me
that he knew the Tressidys, with whom Karine was living, that he had
heard my sister often speak of me, and that he would secretly arrange a
meeting between us. I couldn't resist the temptation of having a few
words with her when it was offered for the asking, and I saw her at the
House by the Lock. An excuse was made to bring her and Lady Tressidy
there--something about a portrait of Karine that was in a queer room
called the 'studio'--and while Wildred was showing Lady Tressidy over
the house I saw my sister, and had a talk with her. She felt grateful to
Wildred for bringing it about, and fool that I was, I didn't suspect the
deep game he meant to play with her, using me as the decoy. I thought he
had merely been willing to take the trouble that he might get the more
work out of me when he wanted it, though what the work was for which he
had brought me to England I didn't yet know.

"After that first meeting with Karine I had given Wildred my word never
to try and see her again; now I understand why. He wished to revive all
the old love she had felt by the sight of me, awaken her sympathy for my
troubles, when she should learn his version of them from his lips, and
then keep me from her, lest I should hear that he had asked her to be
his wife, threatening to betray me if she did not accept, and so, in
spite of my cowardice (for I am a moral coward), setting me against him,
to be his slave and tool no more.

"When I had been in England about three or four weeks, keeping out of
the way of anyone who might possibly remember me, Wildred suggested the
scheme of my travelling back to America, impersonating Farnham, and
finally finishing the plot, as I did finish it to-night. He admitted
that it was for this he had sent for me, but swore Farnham himself was
in the thing as deep as he; that it meant a fortune to them both, which
they were to share, and which could be had in no other way. He explained
that Farnham had had bad luck in speculations, was bankrupt, hadn't the
pluck to begin over again on the lowest rounds of the ladder, nor to
undertake carrying out this plan himself. He would funk the fire
business, Wildred said, and might, instead of escaping, actually be
burned to death. The object to be gained, of course, I was made to
believe, was getti