ognised his
position, for he saw very plainly that he was trapped, and that nothing
remained to him but flight. But how to fly? He stopped opposite to
Lucian.

"What do you intend to do?" he demanded in a hoarse voice.

"Have you arrested, along with Mrs. Vrain," replied Lucian, making this
threat to force Ferruci into defending himself or confessing.

"Mrs. Vrain is innocent--she knows nothing about this conspiracy, as you
call it. I planned the whole thing myself."

"You admit, then, that the so-called Vrain was really Michael Clear?"

"Yes. I got him to personate the man Vrain, so that I could get the
assurance money when I married Lydia. I chose Clear because he was like
Vrain. I made the scar on the cheek, and I thought he would die soon,
being consumptive."

"And you killed him?"

"No! No! I swear I did not kill him!"

"Did you not take that stiletto from Berwin Manor?"

"No! I never did! I am telling the truth! I do not know who killed
Clear."

"Did you not visit Wrent in Jersey Street?"

"Yes. I was the man Rhoda saw in the back yard. I was waiting for Mrs.
Clear, to take her to Hampstead; and in the meantime I thought I would
climb over the fence and see Clear. But the girl saw me, so I ran away,
and joined Mrs. Clear up the road. I was not aware at the time that the
woman who saw me was Rhoda. Afterwards I went to Hampstead with Mrs.
Clear, to see Jorce."

"Did you buy the cloak?"

"I did. That girl in Baxter & Co.'s told a lie for me. I was warned by
Mrs. Vrain that you had made questions about the cloak, so I went to the
girl and told her you were a jealous husband, and paid her to say it was
not I who bought the cloak. She did so, quite ignorant of the real
reason I wished her to deny knowing me."

"Why did you buy the cloak?" asked Lucian, satisfied with this
explanation.

"I bought it for Wrent. He asked me to buy it, but what he wanted it for
I do not know. He had it some days before Christmas, and, I believe,
gave it to Mrs. Clear, and afterwards to the girl Rhoda. But of this I
am not sure."

"Who is Wrent?" asked Denzil, reserving the most important question for
the last.

"Wrent?" said Ferruci, smiling in a sneering way. "Ah! you wish to know
who Wrent is? Well, excuse me for a few minutes, and I'll bring you
something to show who he is."

With a nod to Lucian he passed into his bedroom, leaving the barrister
much astonished. He thought that Ferruci was Wrent himself, and had