edly. "You say that you
went to a friend's house that night with all your money and--and
treasure."

"Girl! will you be silent?" he cried savagely.

"No," said Janet, laughing. "I want you to see this matter as I do.
Whoever this man is, he ought to be forced to give up what he must have
stolen from you. If you will not stir, I shall."

"You will?"

"Yes, I shall take counsel with Hendon again."

"Again?" almost yelled Mark.

"Yes, sir, again. We have spoken over the matter together, and he
agrees that the police ought to be seen, and that you must make this
friend give up what he has taken."

"You'll drive me mad, Janet. Hendon thinks this?"

"Yes; and we are going to do it at once, for the sake of you and Rich."

"You shall not stir!" cried Mark fiercely.

"Why not?" interposed Rich, taking his hand. "I think with my brother
and Janet now, much as I dislike these investigations."

"You think so--you?" cried Mark wildly.

"Yes. Why not?" said Rich. "Mark dear, why should you flinch from
speaking out? You have no unworthy motive."

"Unworthy motive? No," he said bitterly, "I give up everything to spare
another."

"Then you shall not," said Janet firmly. "Your duty is to Richmond
here; your promised wife."

"Yes," said Mark moodily; "my duty is to Rich here, my promised wife."

"And yet for the sake of some unworthy wretch, you make her suffer--yes,
sir, and me too. Why, Rich, dear Rich, what is the matter?"

She flew to her friend's side, and caught her hands; for Rich had
started from her chair, looking wildly from one to the other, as,
struggling as it were from out of a confused mist, how revived she could
not tell, there came back to her, memory by memory, the scenes of that
terrible night. Yes: she remembered now, though it still seemed like a
dream--a fragmentary, misty dream.

Yes, that was the clue! Janet had said it was upon that same night that
Mark had returned--had been found senseless in the streets.

"Don't, don't speak to me for a minute!" she cried, as she fought hard
to recall everything--the maddening pain that night, the visit to the
surgery, the chloral she had obtained and taken, and then that strange
wild sleep.

Yes; she recalled it now. She dreamed she had come down to fetch
something else from the surgery to allay the agony she suffered, and
that the door was locked, and that she had heard voices--her father's
voice, Mark's voice--yes, it was Mark's voice