ward
of their deeds?"

"Quite so; but the question is, do you wish any scandal?"

Diana was silent. She had not looked at the matter from this point of
view. It was true what Lucian said. If the police took up the case
again, Lydia and her accomplice would be arrested, and the whole sordid
story of their doings would be in the papers.

Diana was a proud woman, and winced at the idea of such publicity. It
would be as well to avoid proceeding to such extremities. If the
assurance money was returned by Lydia, she would be reduced to her
former estate, and by timely flight might escape the vengeance of the
defrauded company. After all, she was the wife of Vrain, and little as
Diana liked her, she did not wish to see the woman who was so closely
related to the wronged man put in prison; not for her own sake, but for
the sake of the name she so unworthily bore.

"I leave it in your hands," said Diana to Lucian, who was watching her
closely.

"Very good," replied Denzil. "Then I think it will be best for me to see
Ferruci first, and hear his confession; afterwards call on Mrs. Vrain,
and learn what she has to say. Then----"

"Well," said Diana, curiously, "what then?"

"I will be guided by circumstances. In the meantime, for the sake of
your name, we had better keep the matter as quiet as possible."

"Mrs. Clear may speak out."

"Mrs. Clear won't speak," said Denzil grimly. "She will keep quiet for
her own sake; and as Rhoda has left Jersey Street, there will be no
danger of trouble from that quarter. First, I'll see Lydia and the
Count, to get to the bottom of this conspiracy; then I'll set the police
on Rhoda's track, that she may be arrested and made to confess her
knowledge of the murder."

"Do you think she knows anything?"

"I think she knows everything," replied Lucian with emphasis. "That is
why she has run away. If we capture her, and force her to speak, we may
be able to arrest Wrent."

"Why Wrent?" asked Diana.

"Have you forgotten what Mrs. Clear said? I agree with her that he is
the assassin, although we can't prove it as yet."

"But who is Wrent?"

"Ah!" said Lucian, significantly, "that is just what I wish to find
out."

The upshot of this interview was that early the next morning Denzil went
to the chambers of Ferruci, in Marquis Street, and informed the servant
that he wanted particularly to see the Count.

At first the Italian, being still in bed--for he was a late riser--did
not incli