have become cleared of that
cloud of mysterious depression. He was whistling to himself from sheer
light-heartedness as he turned to leave the room. Then the shock came. At
the last moment he stretched out his hand to take a handkerchief from his
satchel. A sudden exclamation broke from his lips. He stood for a moment
as though turned to stone. Before him, on the top of the little pile of
white cambric, was a small black box! With a movement of the fingers which
was almost mechanical, he removed the lid and drew out the customary
little scrap of paper. He smoothed it out before him on the dressing-case
and read the message:--

"You will fail here as you have failed before. Better go back.
There is more danger for you in this country than you dream of."

His teeth came fiercely together and his hands were clenched. His thoughts
had gone like a flash to Lenora. Was it possible that harm was intended to
her? He put the idea away from him almost as soon as conceived. The thing
was unimaginable. Craig was here, must be here, in the close vicinity of
the house. He could have had no time to communicate with confederates in
London. Lenora, at any rate, was safe. Then he glanced around the room and
thought for a moment of his own danger. In the dead of the night, as he
had slept, mysterious feet had stolen across his room, mysterious hands
had placed those few words of half mocking warning in that simple
hiding-place! It would have been just as easy, he reflected with a grim
little smile, for those hands to have stretched their death-dealing
fingers over the bed where he had lain asleep. He looked once more out
over the park. Somehow, its sunny peace seemed to have become disturbed.
The strange sense of foreboding which he, in common with the others, had
carried about with him last night, had returned.

The atmosphere of the pleasant breakfast-room to which in due course he
descended, was cheerful enough. Lady Ashleigh had already taken her place
at the head of the table before a glittering array of silver tea and
coffee equipage. The Professor, with a plate in his hand, was making an
approving survey of the contents of the dishes ranged upon the sideboard.

"An English breakfast, my dear Quest," he remarked, after they had
exchanged the usual greetings, "will, I am sure, appeal to you. I am not,
I confess, given to the pleasures of the table, but if anything could move
me to enthusiasm in dietary matters, the sight o