UST FIND HER--I MUST FOLLOW HER."

This thrilling and unexpected announcement was electrical in its
results.

Mrs. Mencke gave vent to a shriek of horror, and sank, weak and
trembling, upon a chair, while her husband gazed at the young man with a
look of blank astonishment and dismay; indeed, for the moment, he seemed
almost paralyzed by the astounding declaration, for if Violet was indeed
Wallace's wife, he and his wife had been criminally guilty in trying to
drive her into a marriage with Lord Cameron, and in view of what the
consequence might have been had they succeeded and Violet had lived, he
had every reason to feel appalled.

Lady Cameron, also realizing all this, bowed her blanched face upon her
hands and sat quivering as if with ague. What a terrible fate had been
spared her son; but at what a fearful cost!

Lord Cameron alone betrayed no surprise, made no comment, though he
still remained as colorless as when Wallace had first revealed his
identity; while he stood regarding the young man with a sad, pitying
look, for he saw that Wallace did not suspect what they yet had to tell
him--had not even noticed that they spoke of her in the past tense or
that Mrs. Mencke was clad in deep mourning.

There was an oppressive silence in the room for the space of three or
four minutes then Wilhelm Mencke started forward, his phlegmatic nature
for once all aflame.

"It is an infernal lie!" he cried, shaking his massive fist before
Wallace's face; "all an infernal lie, I tell you, made up for the
occasion, with the design, perhaps, of claiming her money. But you'll
find, my would-be smart young man, that you have tackled the wrong
parties this time."

Wallace made no verbal reply to this coarse outbreak, but, quietly
slipping one hand within a breast-pocket, he drew forth a folded paper,
which he opened and held before the man.

"Read," he said, briefly.

With rapidly fading color, with eyes that grew round and wide, with
mingled conviction and dismay, Wilhelm Mencke read the marriage
certificate, which proved that Wallace Hamilton Richardson and Violet
Draper Huntington had been legally united, by a well-known clergyman of
Cincinnati, about three weeks previous to the sailing of the young girl
for Europe.

The man knew it was the truth, and this conviction was plainly stamped
upon his face as he read; but he was so enraged by the fact, and also by
the secret fear that Wallace might make him some trouble pecu