The Silent House

iness. Her excuse was that the long discussion of her husband's murder, and the too precise details related to

lness. However, these were too vague and confused to be put into words, so the young man remained silent until Mrs. Vrain and her father departed. This they

he left the room, with a parting

shaft, the shooting of which was certainly out of kee

the lady, Mr. Denzil," he said, with a

o me one of those shallow women who would sooner flirt with a tinker than pass u

at gro

y than his death. She is a flippant doll, with a good deal of the adventuress about her. I don't think," s

"You don't propose to accuse her of

t say she is as guilty as all that; but sh

ou make t

And again, Link, this woman admitted that she had married her elderly husband in Florence. Now, Florence, as you know, is an

too suspicious. The woman had no reason t

the assura

you are making a mountain out of a molehill, for I am satisfied that

in every direction,"

e difficult, as she will certainly stay in town until she identifies the body of her dead husband and gets the money. If she is guilty, I'll track her down; but I am certain

shoulders, and too

lanation of her fainting. In the meantime, I'll leave you to follow out the case in the manner you judge best. We shall see who is right in the long

tion, and wondering if he could shape any definite c

ly the wife of this dead man before you are guided by her story!" After wh

ould deem him so easily hoodwinked as the s

hich I don't for a moment admit-there is no need for me to prove the truth of his assumption. If this pretty woman is not the true wife of Berwin, o

Sirius Assurance Company. It appeared that the life of the late Mark Vrain was on the books of the company for no less a sum than twenty thousand pounds; and under the will this was to be paid over to Lydia Vrain, née Clyne. The widow, aid

The lawyer, Mr. Clyne, Mrs. Vrain herself, and several people brought up from Bath by the assurance company, swore that the corpse-buried under the false name of Berwin-was that of Mark Vrain, for decomposition had not proceeded so far but what the features could be recognised. There was even no need to unwrap the body from its ceremen

r the dead man. She had the body re-enclosed in a new and sumptuous coffin, and removed the same to Berwin

tralia. A long letter, giving full details, was despatched by Mrs. Vrain, and the daughter was requested, both by the widow and the lawyer, t

woman had behaved very well, and that Vrain-weak-headed as he was supposed to be-had shown excellent judgment in dividing his property, real and personal, so equally between the two claimants. Miss Vrain, as became the child of the first wife, received the home and acres of her ancest

father to take up her abode in London. When settled there one of her first acts was to send a note to Lucian, telling him that she was in town. The good looks of the young man had

rdeal Mrs. Vrain had emerged unscathed, he began to think that he had been too hasty in condemning the little widow. So he called upon her almost

sly. "I haven't seen anything of you since we met in Mr. Link's

in. So far as your looks go, three minutes,

e's self sick for what can't be helped. But I want to ask you

haking his head, "and, so far as I can see, t

is old country. Well, it don't seem as I can do much more. I've told all I know, and I've offered a rew

ee months since the crime was committed, and

ana Vrain's going on

rain! Wh

country-and only lately got the news of her father's death. I got a letter from her

l not succeed," sa

t it's no use talking, she will have her own way," and dismissing the subject of Miss Vrain, the pre