ned her, and was afraid to show his real face in Kensington."

"We will see as to that," replied Duff Salter. "I had hoped to respect
the lady's privacy, but Mr. Zane has refused to testify. Call Agnes
Wilt."

All in the magistrate's office rose at the mention of this name, only
Andrew Zane keeping his seat amid the crowd. Calvin Van de Lear
officiously sought to assist the witness in, but Duff Salter pressed him
back and gave the sad and beautiful woman his arm. She was sworn, and
stood there blushing and pale by turns.

"What is your name?" asked Duff Salter gently. "Speak very plain, so
that all these good friends of yours may make no mistake."

"My name," replied the lady, "is Agnes Zane. I am the wife of Mr. Andrew
Zane."

"Very good," said Duff Salter soothingly. "You are the wife of Andrew
Zane; wedded how long ago, madam?"

"Eight months."

"Do you see any person in this court-room, Mrs. Zane, that you wish to
identify? Let all be seated."

Poor Agnes looked timidly around the place, and saw a person, at whom
all were gazing, rise and reach his arms toward her.

"Gracious God!" she whispered, "is it he?"

"It is, dear wife," cried Andrew Zane. "Come to my heart."

CHAPTER X.

THE SECRET MARRIAGE.

Reverend Silas Van de Lear was drawing his latest breaths in the house
of one of his elder sons, and only his lips were seen to move in silent
prayer, when a younger fellow-clergyman entering, to a cluster of his
cloth attending there, said audibly:

"This is a strange _denouement_ to the great Kensington scandal, which
has happened this afternoon."

The large, voluptuous lady with the slowly declining eyelids raised them
quietly as in languid surprise.

"You mean the Zane murder? What is it?" asked a minister, while others
gathered around, showing the ministry to have human curiosity even in
the hour and article of death.

"Miss Agnes Wilt, the especial favorite of our dying patriarch here, was
married to young Andrew Zane some time before his father died. There was
no murder in the case. Zane the elder, in one of his frequent fits of
wild and arrogant rage, which were little less than insanity, killed his
partner, Rainey, and in as sudden remorse took his own life."

"What was the occasion of Zane's rage?"

"That is not quite clear, but the local population here is in a violent
reaction against the accusers of young Zane and his wife. The church
recovers a valuable woman in Agnes Zane