ht in order to know about one who is guilty of what you
English people call a foul crime, but which I call a deed that must be
avenged.'

"'I do not understand you.'

"'Ah! Miss Forrest, we Easterns are not like you English people. You are
cool and considerate; we are warm and impulsive. Kaffar was not one that
could be loved by you cold people; but I loved him. We were more than
brothers. I know he was faulty, I know he dared the anger of your
English giant, but I did not think it would come to this.'

"'Come to what?' she asked eagerly.

"'Voltaire,' I said, 'is this quite fair?'

"'No, no!' he cried; 'but I am so excited that I can scarcely master
myself. I will say no more.'

"'Come to what?' repeated Miss Forrest.

"'I will not say,' replied Voltaire. 'I will not wound your tender
nature; I will not tell you a tale of villainy; I will not cause a
ripple on the even stream of your life. Retire to rest, sweet lady, and
think that what I have said is a dream.'

"'Villainy!' cried she. 'Tell me what it is. Yes, there is villainy, I
think. I will be answered! Tell me the truth!'

"Even Voltaire was cowed by her words. He stood and looked at her for a
minute as if in doubt what to do. Then he burst out passionately--

"'Yes, I will answer you. I will tell you now what all the world must
know to-morrow. I had hoped to spare your feelings, but the tone of your
demand makes me speak.'

"'He has no proof for what he is going to say,' I said.

"'Proof!' cried Voltaire. 'There is sufficient proof for an English court
of law, and that law is terribly hard on murderers.'

"'Murderers!' cried Miss Forrest. 'What do you mean?'

"'This!' cried Voltaire. 'You saw Kaffar challenge Mr. Blake in the
drawing-room?'

"'I saw him insult Mr. Blake. I saw that Mr. Blake refrained from
crushing him beneath his heel like a reptile. I saw that!' she cried
excitedly.

"'Just so,' said Voltaire. 'Then Kaffar went out, and Mr. Blake went
after him.'

"'After him! Where?'

"'Mr. Temple and I did not like the look on his face, and we followed
him. I traced his footsteps along the high-road for a long while, and
then we lost sight of them. We knew not where to go, when Mr. Temple
thought he heard voices away in the distance. We went in the direction
of the sound, and came to Drearwater Pond.'

"'Drearwater Pond? That terrible place to which we rode the other day?'

"'The same, gentle lady.'

"'And then?'

"'When we came