The Angel of Terror

and without questioning she accompanied him to the car ahead, the man in the raincoat following. No word was s

"I tell you, those people

d the other gruffly, and the younger man,

dmit they gave me a fright when I realised that Miss Beale had not called the ca

zzled girl. "I'm so confused-wher

" said the young man calmly, "and it is impossib

l incredulously. "Do you

ed in some un-get-at-able place. I don't think he meant any harm-they never take unnecessary risks, and all they wanted was to spir

ed to some explanation, and if you don't mind, I would like you to

s," said the man in the raincoat. "Believe me, Miss Beale, you'll nev

uld on

ut my private affairs," she said,

more than yo

ess, and his voice was so gentle and ap

st you, and in the previous year, twenty-seven. You are living on exactly th

t!" she said hotly and,

ver and Simpson. The gentleman at your side is Mr. Charles Rennett, my senior partner. We are a fir

astonishment. "Well, I can't say tha

understand," mu

wish to dissolve your pa

nd we are going to reveal to you the particulars of an act we contemplate, which, if you pass on the information to the police, will result in our professiona

some distance through an avenue of trees before

er through the door, which opened almost a

et me show you," sa

awing-room, exquisitely furnished and lit by two s

elderly woman r

said Rennett. "I need hardly ex

derly lady, smiling her welcome, "and what

at the Universities turn out by the hundred. He was good-looking too, Lydia noticed with feminine inconsequence, and

to explain or whether my learned and disting

ar," he turned to his wife, "I think we'll l

t in surprise, and Lydia laughed, alt

ing adventure of the evening, and now this furthe

eemed inclined to wait a little longer, for he stood with his back to

you, my conscience is beginning to work overtime. But I might as well

l stare

" she said incredulo

, everybody has

ain all the circumstances," said Jack G

a Mr. Meredith, who was jealous of him, and that Mr. Meredith, when

ggestion that he was jealous, swore that he had already told Miss Briggerland that he cou

uietly. "Miss Briggerland swore in the witne

er n

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 f

ed in some bewilder

his is to do with me," she said

ric 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 s

The girl stared thoug

is Mr.

r quietly, "and it is necessary that h

son?" s

ok his

is discretion in this matter, and has resolutely refused to allow such a marriage to take place. He objects on the grou

w--" beg

. "Believe me, Miss Beale, I'm not so keen upon the scheme as I was. If by chance," he spoke de

Marry a man I've no

erer," he s

ous, impossible!" sh

lent for

ly one of whom was eligible and that was you. Don't interrupt me for a moment, please," he said, raising his hand warningly as she was about to speak. "We have made thorough inquiries about you, too thorough in fact, because the Briggerlands have smelt a rat, and have been on our trail for a week. We know that you are not engaged to be married, we know that you have a fairly heavy burden

e of her indigestible cakes. Such things did not happen, she told herself, and yet here was a young man, standing with his back to the fire, explai

aid after a while. "All this wants thinking

days ago to go to a nursing home for a slight operation. He escaped from

e at him open-mouth

, and the interior of the house and grounds have been searched. They know, of course, that Mr. Rennett and I were his legal advi

I'm dreaming, and if I had the moral courage to pinch myself hard, I should

smi

ee Mr. M

has been secured and at eight o'clock to-morrow morning-marriages before eight or after three are

s a long

r chair, her elbows on her

cursing himself that he was the exponent of hi

e wrong about the number of judgment summonses, there wer

said Jack Glo