momentary expectation that it would open and admit the slight girlish form of the wife from whom he had been so long and cruelly separated yes was on her way to him he would see her hold her in his arms there might be years of happiness yet in store for them � years in which to to forget surely the boat must have arrived by this time what was that sound he had not deceived himself there was a light step on the gravel outside she had come she was here in another instant she would be at his side the door was gently opened he rose to by io the op his feet with a smothered cry of joy rose � and the next instant sat down again heavily with a groan of irrepressible disappointment for the woman who stood there dazzling yet in her faded southern beauty was not it was de whom as he fondly imagined he had last beheld drowning in the blue green waves clasped in the fierce embrace of her injured and husband the blade of whose dagger was deeply in her bosom the shock of the surprise was considerable it was some time before he could recover sufficiently to express himself in appropriate terms witch arch that you are he groaned how came you here has the sea given you up once more ah frank she said with a soft musical accent of reproach i did not expect that question to say nothing of the form in which it was put from you of all men who should know how i escaped what seemed a well nigh inevitable doom if not the man who preserved my life i � preserve your life gasped in a bewilderment which under the circumstances was not unnatural you forgot soon sooner than i i can see the whole scene yet my horrible husband holding me closer closer still the glitter of the blade as it touched my breast you on the rock thirty feet above gazing with eyes that are fixed by p i l � oh but fixed she closed her own as she spoke with a like the of a and next without warning with a sudden bound you the distance between us hurled with a strength that in your shattered state seemed almost supernatural my would be into the sea with one hand while you supported my half fainting form with the other and then strode away up the cliff like one in a dream surely you remember frank shook his head he had no recollection whatever of the incident that this should be so will not surprise the reader who is already aware that he was subject under certain mental tions to in one of th� m he had as we know destroyed a life in another he had preserved one � with an equal lack of of consciousness in either case even now he could not bring himself to credit her account any more than he could affect a decent degree of satisfaction at so a still there she stood alive � whoever had rescued her and it occurred to him presently that he might at least profit by the fact to some light upon a point which had cost him several anxious thoughts of late had she or had she not written that mysterious letter from s row if she had could she indeed prove that was of count de s blood by o op despite his loyalty to his wife he could not help preferring that her fair little hand should be even by a it was weakness no doubt but man is built up of prejudices which can neither be defended nor overcome he said you have not treated me altogether well you have done your best to keep my wife and me apart you have my only son my little you have had me shut up in a lunatic asylum i strongly suspect that you know more than you should about the fire which occasioned the total loss of the and all but a small of her and passengers � and yet � and yet i cannot but think that you still retain a lingering spark of true somewhere in spite of all by that spark i you solemnly to tell me as you hope for mercy whether you did or did not write that letter signed one who knows the truth i did she answered i do know it i have come here with the full intention of telling it and you can clear asked frank then i forgive you freely all the wrong you have done � only speak tell me all at once keep me no longer in suspense wait she said calmly and almost soothingly quite sure you can bear to know the truth by f sure he exclaimed if only did not the count what care i what other hand dealt the fatal blow de smiled a dark and mystic smile as she said slowly not even if the hand should prove to be your frank fell back with blue and lips it is a lie he said hoarsely a cruel lier it is the truth my poor frank i can prove it now as has been already stated this was mere conjecture on her part in spite of the assertion in her letter she had not been in the corridor of the prospect hotel when the tragic occurrence had taken place on the contrary she had been perhaps the most perplexed by frank s disappearance the next morning it was only subsequently that her feminine had supplied a partial solution of the mystery however her shot told with terrible effect prove it he repeated why after i had seen the count enter s room i went straight to my own i sat up in a stupor till daylight i did indeed and at daylight you fled said de softly only as 