house, and there he
almost murders him for the sake of the ring. Of course, he meant to kill
Van Sneck in such a way that the blame could not possibly fall upon him."

"Can you prove that he knew anything about it?"

"I can prove that he knew who Van Sneck was at a time when the hospital
people were doing their best to identify the man. And I know how
fearfully uneasy he was when he got to know that some of us were aware
who Van Sneck was. It has been a pretty tangle for a long time, but the
skein is all coming out smoothly at last. And if we could get the ring
which Henson forced by violence from Van Sneck--"

"Excuse me. He did nothing of the kind."

Chris looked up eagerly.

"Oh," she cried, "have you more to tell me, then?"

"Nothing authentic," Rawlins said; "merely surmise. Van Sneck is going to
recover. If he does it will be hard for Henson, who ought to get away
with his plunder at once. Why doesn't he go and blackmail Lord Littimer
and sell him the ring and clear out of the country? He doesn't do so
because the ring is not yet in his possession."

"Then you imagine that Van Sneck--"

"Still has the ring probably in his possession at the present moment. If
you only knew where Van Sneck happened to be."

Chris rose to her feet with an excited cry.

"I do know," she exclaimed; "he is in the house where he was half
murdered. And Mr. Steel shall know all this before he sleeps to-night."

CHAPTER LI

HERITAGE IS WILLING

Bell's sanguine expectation that Van Sneck would be ready for an
immediate operation was not quite correct. As the day wore on the man
seemed more feverish and restless, which feverishness was followed by a
certain want of strength. After due deliberation Dr. Cross suggested that
the operation should be postponed for a day or two.

"The man is out of our hands," he said. "You have identified him, and
you desire that he should remain here. It is pretty irregular
altogether. And I hope I shan't get into trouble over it. Still, in such
capable hands as yours--"

Bell acknowledged the compliment with a smile.

"Between Heritage and myself," he said, "we shall pull him through, eh,
Heritage?"

The other doctor nodded brightly. For some little time he had been
directly under Bell's influence, and that had meant a marvellous change
for the better, he had lost a deal of his hesitating manner, and was
looking forward to the operation with the keenest interest.

"However, I will