Year: 1869

people'satairs, and in the present instance,
having seen and heard all | had, | felt eN-
ceedingly reluctant 20 let the matter drop
The mystery attaching to Mrs Forester
was not very difficult to unravel-at least
in its main feature AS for this Murray,
and the influence he appeared to possess
over her, had long since made up my
mind that he was q william who would
stoop to any device, however contempti-
BILE, to insure the success of any evil en-.
terprise in which he might be engaged. |
determined to use every endeavor to de-
feat him in his present scheme, though let
1t not be for moment supposed that any
heroics were mixed up in this resolve. l
looked upon the whole matter rather as
game of chess in which by hook or by
crook ! must checkmate my adversary.
When reached the breakfast.room, the
trio seemed on the best possible terms
one with another-Charlie cheerful and
unsuspicious as ever, Mrs. Forester play
ing nervously with tiny piece of toast,
which she made pretense to cat, but never
touched, and Murray eating and talking
with equal earnestness


"Oh yes" he said, as came in, "your
wife and |, Charlie, have discovered that
we are old acquaintances. Curious, isn't
1t? Wheels within wheels What fools
we are to fancy our world to be such a
huge place."


looked at his face as l sat down at the
table more closely than | ever had before
and again the old thought of last night
came back to me. Then my eyes involun.
tarily settled on his hands they were still
encased in light gloves. l do not know
what it was that prompted me, but Joining
in the conversation, said, " You are quite
right often tumble across people never
expected to see again-mere passing ac-
quaintanCcs. Do you know" | continued,
last night when you arrived fancied we
had met before, though then you had no
beard and mustache."


| could have sworn, and did to myselfat
the moment that his hand trembled as he
raised his cup to his lips but moment
after, as he set it down again, he was per-
fectly calm and cool, while in nouchalaut
tone he replied, 4" | must say you have the
advantage of me, as am not aware that
we ever met before indeed | lam quite sure
that we never did. Besides, | have worn
beard and mustsche ever since either one
or the other would grow"


"Why, when you were in Paris, you
were as clean shaved as priest on feast.
day" burst in Charlie, quite innocently;
but Murray, without taking any notice OF
the observation, turned to Mrs. Forester,
and commenced talking to her about some
thing quite different.


Slowly but surely, a conviction was
growing upon me that made me pay con-
siderable respect to my impressions of the
night before, and determined me to be
more watchful than ever. My only fear
was that Mrs. Forester, in the weakness
of her terror, would take some deperate
step, when, after all, as firmly believed
there was not the slightest ground for
alarm.


In the course of the next twenty.four
hours, by dint of pertinacious listening
and watching, found that Murray's pro-
testations of affection cooled in proper
ton as he ingeniously limited that his
silence might be purchased for reasona-
bic sum-a suggestion that his victim
caught eagerly at, only to be more
crushed by the revulsion of feeling that
followed when she reflected how utterly
impossible it was for her to obtain the
two hundred pounds he modestly asked
He was treading on dangerous ground, this
same Murray: even as he stood there
might have handed him into the custody
of the nearest constable on a charge Of
endeavoring to extort money by threats
and menaces. Looking at it from legal
point of view, this would have been an
excellent course to adopt, but it was the
exposure that was to be avoided, and
therefore it was necessary to adopt differ
ent tactics.


For three days l watched-with what a
trial to the patience can readily be
imagined-this human spider torturing
the poor fly he had got into his web: he
cool, courteous, and insinuating as he
worked out his scheme: she growing
weaker and weaker, and losing allstrength
and courage, only to find it again to take
one last desperate step, and thus forever
put an end to the torture she was suffer
ing.


Yet all this while her husband seemed
to notice nothing amiss with her, though
her eyes were often red with weeping,
and her face wore a settled look of melan.
chOly and despair. Not that he failed in
affection or tenderness, only he was one
of those men who, in the goodness of
their own digestions and the smoothness
of their life-stream, look upon dyspepsia
as popular delusion, and cannot under
stand why any one should be unhappy. 1t
was the evening Of the fourth day since
Murray's arrival, and after dinner l had
left him and Charlie discussing q bottle of





days, and was wandering down a side
path that led to the plantation, when
suddenly trod on something. Looking
downward, / saw that it was pocket.
book of somewhat bulky dimensions.
There was only one thing to be done,
namely, to pick it up, unclasp it, and ex-
anime the contents, which need scarcely
add 1 faithfully did. This investigation
having been satisfactorily accomplished, /
placed the pocket-boOk in my pocket, and
strolled on into the plantation to reflect
what my next move with Mr.. Murray
should be. knew the game was in my
hands "now;" my only puzzle was how
to play it without making disturbance.
Still, what was to be done must be done
quickly. As / came to this determination
found myself standing by the side of a
small lake that lay in the midst of the
plantation almost at the same moment
| heard groan as of some one in distress.
Turning eagerly to the direction whence
it seemed TO come, through the dusk which
was now growing into darkness saw the
tlutteT of white dress near to the head
of the lake. know not what possessed me,
but thought seized me that sent me tear
ing through the bushes and brambles with
frantic speed. A few seconds more, and
/ L nhu CduBnb bIltblCl ny l4lb Nilnls
"What would you do, woman" l ex-
claimed, breathless.


She made no answer-only fell fainting
at my feet.


When got back to the house found
Murray alone in the dining room, paying
| the closest attention TO a second bottle oi
the "a Chateau Margaux, TO better appre'
ciate which the lamp had been brought
| in, so that he might examine the marvel.
GUS beauty of its color Charlie was clos
eted in the smoking-room with his farm
| bailitf; in short, the opportunity of an in.
terview alone with Murray that / SC
much wanted presented itself l was moi
slow to take advantage of it, and fiinging
myself into an armchair close to him
poured out glass Of wine, and settled
comfortably to my task. II was pretty
plain that he was anything but pleased a
the prospect of tetea-tets and seemed
not altogether easy in his chair, ...
+" WAS thiukiuO Of taking q stroll liz