d had taken Karine (even within
my own mind I would not call her his wife), we must lodge such
information with the police that he could be arrested at once, either on
English or foreign soil, as the case might be. A man accused of murder,
as he would be, could, fortunately, be apprehended anywhere.

At Haslemere station they could only inform us that the party of which
we were in search had had tickets for London, and had left about
three-quarters of an hour before our arrival.

Even if we could have told our story with sufficient succinctness to
have Wildred met at Waterloo by the police, there would have been no
time to do so. We must simply follow as we could. Luckily there was a
slow train due in a few moments, otherwise I think we (I at least) must
have gone mad with the strain of waiting.

At Waterloo we heard of them. A porter had taken their luggage and put
it on a cab. The gentleman and lady had driven away in a private
carriage. What direction had been given to the coachman or the cabman he
had not happened to hear.

I now proposed that Cunningham should proceed immediately to Scotland
Yard, while I busied myself elsewhere. He was the one who could tell of
the plot by which he had personated Farnham in America, by Wildred's
desire, and in the hope of obtaining a substantial bribe. The
authorities were already in possession of such separate information as I
could give, and now that they would learn from Cunningham how Farnham
had never gone to America at all, a very different and more lurid light
would be shed upon the past.

Meanwhile I would drive to Charing Cross, and might yet be in time to
intercept the couple if they were intending to depart for France.

At Charing Cross they had not appeared, and hastening to a telegraph
office, I sent messages containing Wildred's description and Karine's to
every one of the principal railway stations in London. Replies were
paid, and were to be received for me at the Charing Cross Hotel. Having
done so much, I drove to the piers from which the Holland boats sailed;
then, having discovered nothing, back to Charing Cross again. The train
which would catch the night boat at Dover was just about going out, but
Wildred and Karine were not visible.

When the last moment had come and gone I betook myself to the hotel,
where my telegrams were to await me. I also looked for Cunningham, who
was to have met me there, after Scotland Yard, and decided upon
forthcoming arra