; then, having ruined you and put you out of the running, he meant
to have a try for your sweetheart."

Adrien turned on her almost fiercely, and glanced at Constance, who
motioned him to be silent.

"That surprises you, does it?" continued Ada. "Some of you ladies and
gentlemen are as blind as bats. I could see his little game months ago.
That was his object; and he didn't care what he did to gain it. But he
went a bit too far when he tried to do me!"

She turned to Jessica, and, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder, drew
her forward.

"You want to know who this is? Well, it's just as I said before. She's
my niece. I don't think anybody, looking at the two of us, will deny the
relationship, either. She takes after her mother. And now you want to
know who her father is?"

Again she paused to heighten the effect of her words; but before an
answer could be given, a girl's cry of horror rang out, and Jessica
suddenly flung herself in front of Adrien. Jasper Vermont, for the first
time catching sight of Harker, and realising at last that the game was
up, indeed, had made a sudden movement, once more wrenching himself free
from Shelton. Something glittered in his hand; then came a flash, a
report, and with that one scream of agony, the lifeless form of Jessica
fell into Adrien's arms.

In an instant, all was in confusion. Jasper Vermont, with a mocking
laugh, had sprung over the stone balustrade, and was running across the
turf in the direction of the stream which, lower down, spanned the
race-course, and, even at this time of the year, was almost a foaming
torrent. Attracted by the sound of the shot, the servants had
approached, and now set off in hot pursuit.

But Jasper Vermont was fleet of foot, and when he had gained the top of
the rising ground he turned for one second to laugh again. But the laugh
died on his lips, as a voice--audible even above all the hubbub and
confusion--the shrill voice of Ada Lester, screamed:

"You villain. You have murdered your own child!"

Those who were in pursuit saw him suddenly stagger, as he realised that
the girl, whose identity he had that day learnt for the first time, had
received the bullet he had intended for Adrien Leroy.

With a short, sharp cry, like that of a wounded animal, he missed his
footing, fell backwards into the stream, which at this point was both
wide and deep, and was carried away; drowning before the very eyes of
the man who had so loved and trusted