Burden had switched off some of the electric lights in the

corridor--was, indeed, prepared to switch the remainder if any one

happened to come up--and she could just see a face through the window.

The sight of it almost made her scream, for the face was partially

covered by a crape mask, through which the eyes gleamed fiercely.

Burden clapped her hand to her mouth to stifle the cry of terror, and,

absolutely incapable of remaining on the spot, fled to her own room and

locked herself in.

Ted raised the window noiselessly and stepped into the corridor. He had

a plan of the house, drawn from Burden's description, and he made

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straight for the countess' room. The Parson stood at the bottom of the

ladder on guard. And each man carried a revolver loaded in all six

barrels.

A few minutes before the burglar had so neatly effected his entrance,

the men left the smoking room for the drawing-room--all excepting Lord

Turfleigh, who had taken a soda and brandy with his cigar, and deemed it

prudent to indulge in a little nap before joining the ladies.

Drake was a little less excited than he had been, but he was still

resolved to ask Luce to be his wife, and he meant to take her into the

conservatory, or one of the rooms where they could be alone for a few

minutes. But when he entered the drawing-room she was playing. He went

up to the piano, and, bending over it as if to look at the music,

whispered: "Will you go into the conservatory presently?"

She nodded, and without raising her eyes, but with a sudden flush. Drake

went across the room to where Lady Angleford and Lady Wolfer were

seated, talking, and the first word he heard was Nell's name.

"Of course it is the same," Lady Wolfer was saying eagerly. "Her brother

was at the engineers, Bardsley & Bardsley! And Nell has been near us all

this time, and in this house, and I didn't know it! If I had, I would

have gone to her at once. She's the dearest and sweetest girl in all the

world, and I owe her----" She stopped and sighed, but not sadly. "She

left us quite suddenly to go to her stepmother, who was a cousin of my

husband's; and I have only seen her once since. They--she and her

brother--were living in one of these large mansions--a dreadfully

crowded and noisy place; but, though they were poor, she seemed quite

happy and contented. I begged her to come and live with me, but she

would not leave her brother--though for that matter we should have been

delighted to have him also, especially if he is anything like her. Oh,

yes, the dearest girl! And you don't know how much I owe her! Some day I

may be tempted to tell you." She sighed again, and was silent for a

moment, as she recalled the scene in her bedroom on the night of the

dinner party, the night before Nell had left Wolfer House so suddenly.

"I must go and see her to-morrow morning. They say she is engaged to the

young man, the violinist."




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