d ROMANCE FROM A DETECTIVES CASE-BOOKX. 301

her we would be married at once, and seek some corner of the earth where she would be safe, and her answer was that nowhere in the world would she be safe except in the grave.”

“You did wrong in urging her to fly,” I answered. |

“I carc not. Wrong, or no wrong, I will take her,” he cried, passionately. 1 tell you, Mr. Donovan, that there is some hideous mystery about this affair, and T will move heaven and earth to save Miss Artois from the machination that 1s destroying her body and soul.”

“Your devotion, your chivalry do you mfinite credit,” 1 replied. “ Miss Artols shall be saved if 1t is possible to save her, but, believe me, she cannot be saved by flight. She must remain here subject to the law. To defy the law will be a fatal mistake.”

Although he did not secem to be quite convinced of the soundness of my advice, he promised to be entirely guided by me, and 1n a little while he took his departure, and then I sat down to reflect and ponder, and endeavour to unravel the threads of this tangled skein. Onc thing T re- solved on was to go down to Thames Ditton carly on the morrow, and have an interview with Miss Artois in the presence of her uncle. Ina little while my servant entered the room and handed mc a postal packet, which, on opening, I found was from the lithographers who were reproducing the photograph. It contained the original and a note to say that the reproductions would be ready for distribution the first thing in the morning.

Placing the photo. of Tupper on the table,

I it my pipe, and once more throwing mysclf

in my favourite casy chair, T tricd by the aid of smoke to solve the mystery sur- rounding Miss Artois. Presently T found myself almost unconsciously gazing on the photo. that lay on the table, in the full rays of the shaded lamp. Suddenly that face presented 1tself to me as once I had seen before; and I beat my brains, so to speak, to try and think where and when. “ Whose face 1s it? Where have T scen it?” This was the question that, mentally, T repeated over and over again.

After much cogitation, I threw away the stump of my cigar, went to my desk, and taking out a powerful magnilying glass, I returned to the table, and examined the likeness of John Tupper by means of the glass, until suddenly, like an inspiration, it flashed upon me where and when I had seen

the face. It 1s not often I get excited, but I think T did on that occasion, for I felt certain that I had got hold of a clue to the mystery. I did not sleep much that night, and was ,up betimes in the morning, and hastened to call upon Mr. Kingsley, to assure him that I believed I was in a fair way to solve the mystery, and I hoped all would be well with Miss Artois.

A week later, on as dark and stormy a night in January as had been known during that winter, I was in an upper room in an old, untenanted house in the Borough. The owner of the house was Mr. Tamworth, of Thames Ditton. Stretched at full length on the dusty floor, with my eye glued to a hole that cnabled me to command a view of the room beneath, I was witness of one of the most remarkable and dramatic scenes I had cver looked upon. Thirteen men were in the room, scated at a long deal table. Six sat on one side, six on the other. The thirtcenth sat at the head, and was evidently the president. Every man’s face was con- ccaled by a hood that entirely covered up the head, two holes being pierced for the cyes. Before the president was a china bowl, and laid across the bowl was a naked dagger.

A small lamp was suspended from the cciling and threw a feeble light over the scene. In a few minutes onc of the men arose and placed a bull’s-eye lantern on a shelf in a corner of the room, and in such a position that its rays fcll full upon the doorway. That done the president rapped on the table with a wooden mallet. Then the door opened and threce men appeared. T'wo were hooded like the rest. The third was not hooded, and was placed at the end of the table opposite the president, and so that the light of the bull's-cyc fell full upon his face. It was a crucl, cunning, almost fierce face. The man was without coat or waistcoat, and his shirt was opened and turned down, exposing his breast, while round his neck was a rope with the free end hanging behind. In a few minutes the president rose, and addressing the barehcaded man, said :(—

“Your name 1s Henry Beechworth ?”

“It1s.”

“ Arc you willing, Henry Beechworth, to join the Black Brotherhood ? ”

“I am.”

“And you are willing to take the oath that will bind you to us?”

“T am.”

“Then listen, and T will read the oath to you.” Here the president unrolled a little

Vol. iv.—30.