l never know why. Probably he had it done when
he knew that your son and Miss Carfax had struck up a flirtation. It was
he who forged a letter from Frank to Miss Carfax, enclosing the ring. By
that means he hoped to create mischief which, if it had been nipped in
the bud, could never have been traced to him. As matters turned out he
succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. He had got the real ring, too,
which was likely to prove a very useful thing in case he ever wanted to
make terms. A second and a faithful copy was made--the copy you hold in
your hands--to hold temptingly over Lady Littimer's head when he wanted
large sums of money from her."

"The scoundrel! He gets the money, of course?"

"He does. To my certain knowledge he has had nearly L70,000. But the case
is in good hands. You have only to wait a few days longer and the man
will be exposed. Already, as you see, I have wound his accomplice, the
Reverend James Merritt, round my finger. Of course, the idea of getting
up a bazaar has all been nonsense. I am only waiting for a little further
information, and then Merritt will feel the iron hand under the velvet
glove. Unless I am greatly mistaken, Merritt can tell us where Prince
Rupert's ring is. Already Van Sneck is in our grasp."

"Van Sneck! Is he in England?"

"He is. Did you read that strange case of a man being found half murdered
in the conservatory of Mr. Steel, the novelist, in Brighton? Well, that
was Van Sneck. But I can't tell you any more at present. You must wait
and be content."

"Tell me one thing, and I will wait as long as you like. Who are you?"

Chris shook her head, merrily. A great relief had been taken off her
mind. She had approached a delicate and difficult matter, and she had
succeeded beyond her expectations. That she had shaken the man opposite
her sorely was evident from his face. The hardness had gone from his
eyes, his lips were no longer bitter and cynical.

"I may have been guilty of a great wrong," he murmured. "All these years
I may have been living under a misapprehension. And you have told me what
I should never have suspected, although I have never had a high opinion
of my dear Reginald. Where is my wife now?"

"She is still at Longdean Grange. You will notice a great change in her,
a great and sorrowful change. But it is not too late to--"

Littimer rose and went swiftly towards the house. At any other time the
action would have been rude, but Chris fully understo