deal in each other's company, and had
many confidential chats. I loved her, yet somehow I could not be frank
and open. How could I without revealing the secret of her father?

One spring afternoon we had been playing tennis and were sitting
together in the pretty arbor at the end of the well-kept lawn, both
smoking cigarettes after a strenuous game, when suddenly she turned to
me, saying:

"Do you know, Mr. Hargreave, I don't like the look of things at all!
Mr. Duperre is not playing a straight game--of that I'm sure!"

"Oh--why?" I asked with affected ignorance.

"I have again overheard something. Yesterday I was just going into the
morning-room, the door of which stood ajar, when I heard father
warning Duperre of something--I couldn't quite catch what it was. Only
he said that he didn't approve of such drastic measures, and that 'the
old man might lose his life.' To that Duperre replied: 'And if he did,
nobody would be any wiser.' What can it mean?"

"I fear I am just as ignorant as yourself," I replied, looking the
arch-crook's pretty daughter full in the face.

"Well," she said, "I know I can trust you, Mr. Hargreave. I have only
you in whom I can confide."

"Yes," I assured her, bending across to her. "You can trust me
implicitly. I, too, am just as puzzled as yourself."

"I know they have some business schemes together, Madame has often
told me so," went on the girl. "But while I was away at Keswick I
purposely got into conversation with an old gentleman named Lloyd at
Madame's suggestion, as she told me our acquaintanceship would be
useful to some business scheme of Vincent's. It appears that he wanted
to become acquainted with Mr. Lloyd."

"And you acted upon her suggestion?" I asked, horrified that she was
becoming the decoy of that circle of super-crooks.

"Yes, though it was against my will," was her reply. "I contrived to
allow him to have an opportunity to chat with me, and I afterwards
introduced Madame as my companion."

"And what followed?" I asked eagerly.

"Oh, he was very often with us, and took us for rides in his car all
through the Lakes. The hotel was full of smart people, and I think
they envied us."

I was silent for a moment.

"Have you any idea who Mr. Lloyd may be?" I asked.

"No, except that Madame told me that he is immensely rich. A few days
later father came over to Keswick and stayed a few days and met him.
But the whole affair was most mysterious. I can't make it out