The Black Patch

s and bars and other precautions; but the order that his sordid career should end had come from the Powers that deal with evil-doers, and he was as de

oods round The Camp, but did not mention with what object. There, as she stated very truly, she had been caught in the storm, and at some unknown time had stumbled home wet and weary, and so tired that she had at once slipped into bed. The note from her stepfather was produced, and confiscated by the sergeant; the details of Mrs. Snow's curiosity leading to a discovery of a crime, were given; and then Be

nd when falling on her knees by the dead she had mechanically picked it up, without lynx-eyed Mrs. Snow seeing the action. Durban would only allow the women to remain for two minutes in that place of death. Then he drove them out, an

--was the enemy of the deceased. Could it be that Vivian had killed the miser to settle the question of marriage, and secure his threatened property from getting into the cruel clutches of his victim? In that first moment of horror Beatrice was inclined to think so. Then, with a revulsion of feeling, she r

breaking of the storm, and her fainting-fit. She might have been hours unconscious; she might have been hours getting home, for she had very little recollection of that mad passage through the furious wind and rain. Only she remembered reaching The Camp between the gates, and blindly falling into the arms of a lean, tall man with a black patch over his left eye. Had that ma

she had knocked this down between the table it stood on and the wall. Some instinct must have directed her to look for it at the moment. She thrust the incriminating handkerchief into her pocket, and ran to the bedroom carriage. There she found the watch--found a

d she replaced the watch on its stand, with a firm conviction that she had entered the bedroom at nine on the previous evening. Vivian had left her to follow the spy at a quarter past seven, so he could easily have committed the crim

rchief--but where? The police are sure to search the place, and--and----" A sudden thought struck her. "I'll keep it in my pocket," she decided, and thrust it, neatly folded up, to the very bottom of that receptacle. Later, she intended to cauti

h scarcely concealed fright. Beatrice eyed him with astonishment, as she had never deemed him to be much attached to the old tyrant who had gone so violently to

e ground, and jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "The police will

now my--the lat

is eyes with approval, and dropped the

father," Beatri

, missy, Mrs. Snow knew master befor

Colonel Hall's throa

inst the door. "Yes," he whisper

roat has been cut

ion was wry and twisted. "There is

ed pale, and threw u

master. And yet," he added, half to himself; "if e

asked Beatrice, taki

urban, again casting his eyes on the

you kn

"Master sent me to London last night, as you knew, missy. I only came down by the mo

. "Subscriptions for the church spi

t was th

for what

he came here to make mischief between you and master. Thank Heaven h

he wish to ha

he master is dead, I can tell it to you

quickly; "a tall man, with a

. "How do you know that, missy?

tes were open, about n

arply. "Then you did go

n time to make an observation, she related the whole story of her adventure, suppressing only the episode of the handkerchief. This she did, so as to avert any possible suspicion from Vivian,

issy," he said at last, and removed her grasp from his arm. "You will inheri

ld me very plainly that if h

aste; "he would not dare to--to----" Here

a pace in sheer amazement a

He was a scoundrel--you don't know how great a scoundrel. Missy"--he grasped her arm in his turn--"you sh

over?" asked Be

self by a violent effort. "The police! Say as lit

are you

. Snow.

had entered the gates left open by Mrs. Snow, came up to them with impor

his place, miss," said t

ing and the law," fin

you," they both murmured in a breath, then stared ste

e, drawing herself up; "neither

e sergeant, snorti

proper place," said Miss Hedge, cutting the plethoric man

rable questions of Durban, and finally insisted that Beatrice should submit to an examination. This she did composedly enough, but said as little as she well could

emarkably short space of time. Their wives and children came also, and the police had much difficulty in keeping them out of the precincts of The Camp. Then by next day the news had reached Brighton, and crowds of tourists--it being

much to the surprise of Beatrice, the man who had proposed to her on that fatal night never made his appearance. Without an