charge
against the mute Jack Blunt. "This man is a proper, decent fellow
enough," kindly testified the old soldier.

In vain Andrew Fraser raved to the Magistrate, demanding that Major
Hardwicke and Captain Murray should explain their past conduct. "I
am directed by General Wragge to say that he will visit you, himself,
officially, to-morrow, Professor Fraser, and he will have an important
governmental communication for you. Until then, I desire these two
gentlemen to be allowed to remain in your house. They will remove all
their luggage this evening." And then, old Fraser, with a presage of
coming trouble, shivered in a sullen silence. Conscience smote him,
sorely.

"The lost jewels!" In fact, a handsomely appointed carriage and a
van, in the afternoon, removed all of the effects of the two pseudo
"orientals," who, half an hour after the carriage had arrived, appeared
in their respective undress uniforms of the Royal Engineers and the
Eighth Lancers, to the dismay of old Fraser--now affrighted at his
dangerous position. There was gloom in the house now, for Miss Nadine
Johnstone flatly refused to even see her guardian a single moment! And
Simpson, alone, sat in conclave with Major Hardwicke, who had learned
privately of the secret removal of Alan Hawke's body to St. Heliers.
Messengers, in uniform, coming and going rapidly, were hourly admitted
to Major Hardwicke's presence, and already a pale-faced woman was on
her way from Geneva to rejoin Madame Alixe Delavigne, at the old chateau
mansion where Captain Murray only awaited the arrival of Anstruther
now ready to open his siege batteries on the man who had covered up
his brother's crime. There was not a word to be gleaned from the
authorities, and St. Heliers was simply convulsed in a useless fever
of curiosity. Even Frank Hatton, representing the London press, was
muzzled. Not a soul was, as yet, permitted to approach the old martello
tower, where Alan Hawke had faced the Moonshee, "man to man." A squad of
coast guardsmen sternly picketed the vicinity of Rozel Head. And a great
smuggling raid was the only accepted explanation to the public.

Captain Murray had duly reported the completion of all the Major's
carefully matured preparations, and fled away to await the arrival of
Justine Delande and Captain Anson Anstruther.

It was a sunny morning, two days later, when Major Hardwicke descended
at Simpson's summons, dressed in his full uniform, to the great library,