Angel of Terror

following. No word was spoken, and Lydia was too bewildered to ask questions until the car was on its way. Then the younger man chuckled."Clever, Rennett!" he said. "I tell you, those people are sup

then turned to the girl."Now Miss Beale, I don't know whether I ought to explain or whether my learned and distinguished friend prefers to save me the trouble.""Not me," said the elder man hastily. "My dear," he turned to his wife, "I think we'll leave Jack Glover to talk to this young lady.""Doesn't she know?" asked Mrs. Rennett in surprise, and Lydia laughed, although she was feeling far from amused.The possible loss of her employment, the disquieting adventure of the evening, and now this further mystery all combined to set her nerves on edge.Glover waited until the door closed on his partner and his wife and seemed inclined to wait a little longer, for he stood with his back to the fire, biting his lips and looking down thoughtfully at the carpet."I don't just know how to begin, Miss Beale," he said. "And having seen you, my conscience is beginning to work overtime. But I might as well start at the beginning. I suppose you have heard of the Bulford murder?"The girl stared at him."The Bulford murder?" she said incredulously, and he nodded."Why, of course, everybody has heard of that.""Then happily it is unnecessary to explain all the circumstances," said Jack Glover, with a little grimace of distaste."I only know," interrupted the girl, "that Mr. Bulford was killed by a Mr. Meredith, who was jealous of him, and that Mr. Meredith, when he went into the witness-box, behaved disgracefully to his fiancee.""Exactly," nodded Glover with a twinkle in his eye. "In other words, he repudiated the suggestion that he was jealous, swore that he had already told Miss Briggerland that he could not marry her, and he did not even know that Bulford was paying attention to the lady.""He did that to save his life," said Lydia quietly. "Miss Briggerland swore in the witness-box that no such interview had occurred."Glover nodded."What you do not know, Miss Beale," he said gravely, "is that Jean Briggerland was Meredith's cousin, and unless certain things happen, she will inherit the greater part of six hundred thousand pounds from Meredith's estate. Meredith, I might explain, is one of my best friends, and the fact that he is now serving out a life sentence does not make him any less a friend. I am as sure, as I am sure of your sitting there, that he no more killed Bulford than I did. I believe the whole thing was a plot to secure his death or imprisonment. My partner thinks the same. The truth is that Meredith was engaged to this girl; he discovered certain things about her and her father which are not greatly to their credit. He was never really in love with her, beautiful as she is, and he was trapped into the proposal. When he found out how things were shaping and heard some of the queer stories which were told about Briggerland and his daughter, he broke off the engagement and went that night to tell her so."The girl had listened in some bewilderment to this recital."I don't exactly see what all this is to do with me," she said, and again Jack Glover nodded."I can quite understand," he said, "but I will tell you yet another part of the story which is not public property. Meredith's father was an eccentric man who believed in early marriages, and it was a condition of his will that if Meredith was not married by his thirtieth birthday, the money should go to his sister, her heirs and successors. His sister was Mrs. Briggerland, who is now dead. Her heirs are her husband and Jean Briggerland."There was a silence. The girl stared thoughtfully into the fire."How old is Mr. Meredith?""He is thirty next Monday," said Glover quietly, "and it is necessary that he should be married before next Monday.""In prison?" she asked.He shook his head."If such things are allowed that could have been arranged, but for some reason the Home Secretary refuses to exercise his discretion in this matter, and has resolutely refused to allow such a marriage to take place. He objects on the ground of public policy, and I dare say from his point of vie