lly, Lucian judged it
would be wisest of all to call on Dr. Jorce, and find out why he was
friendly with Ferruci, and how much he knew of the Italian's doings.

While the barrister was making up his mind to this course he was
surprised to receive a visit from no less a person than Mr. Jabez Clyne,
the father of Lydia.

The little man, usually so bright and merry, now looked worried and ill
at ease. Lucian--so much as he had seen of him--had always liked him
better than Lydia, and was sorry to see him so downcast. Nor when he
learned the reason was he better pleased. Clyne told it to him in a
roundabout way.

"Do you know anything against Signor Ferruci?" he asked, when the first
greetings were over.

"Very little, and that bad," replied Denzil shortly.

"Do you refer to the horrible death of my son-in-law?"

"Yes, I do, Mr. Clyne. I believe Ferruci had a hand in it, and if you
bring him here I'll tell him so."

"Can you prove it?" asked Clyne eagerly.

"No. As yet, Ferruci has proved that he was not in Geneva Square on the
night of the crime--or rather," added Lucian, correcting himself, "at
the hour when the murder was committed."

Clyne's face fell. "I wish you could discover if he is guilty or not,"
he said. "I am anxious to know the truth."

"Why?" asked Lucian bluntly.

"Because if he is guilty, I don't want my daughter to marry a murderer."

"What! Is Mrs. Vrain going to marry him?"

"Yes," said the little man disconsolately, "and I wish she wasn't."

"So do I--for her own sake. I thought she did not like him. She said as
much to me."

"I can't make her out, Mr. Denzil. She grew tired of him for a time, but
now she has taken up with him again, and nothing I can say or do will
stop the marriage. I love Lydia beyond words, as she is my only child,
and I don't want to see her married to a man of doubtful reputation like
Ferruci. So I thought I'd call and see if you could help me."

"I can't," replied Lucian. "As yet I have found out nothing likely to
implicate Ferruci in the crime."

"But you may," said Clyne hopefully.

Lucian shrugged his shoulders.

"If I do, you shall know at once," he said.

CHAPTER XXIV

LUCIAN IS SURPRISED

Although Denzil received Mr. Clyne with all courtesy, and promised to
aid him, if he could, in breaking off the marriage with Ferruci, by
revealing his true character to Mrs. Vrain, he by no means made a
confidant of the little man, or entrusted him with