-a bit of the label from the dye-bottle which came off
in the operation. Between the poor chap's fingers I found stains of
the dye still remaining. Spirit of Wine would have removed it, but
washing in water wouldn't. Pardon, your ladyship? When did I begin
to suspect that Farrow was at the bottom of it? Oh, when first I
heard of the poisoned dog. Nobody ever heard it bark when the
poisoner approached the stables. That, of course, meant that the
person who administered the poison must have been some one with whom
it was familiar, and also some one who was already inside the
place, since even the first approaching step of friend or foe would
have called forth one solitary bark at least. Farrow didn't do the
thing by halves, you see. He meant it to look like a genuine case of
horse stealing to outsiders, and killing the dog gave it just that
touch of actuality which carries conviction. As for the rest--the
major must tell you that in private, your ladyship. The rest of this
little matter is for men alone."

Lady Mary bowed and passed out into the fast coming dusk; and, in
the stable the major, Cleek and Narkom stood together, waiting until
she was well beyond earshot.

"Now, Major, we will get down to brass tacks, as our American cousins
say," said Cleek, when that time at length came. "You would like to
know, I suppose, how poor Farrow came by his injuries and from whose
hand. Well, you shall. He was coming back from his cottage after
stabling the real Chocolate Maid there when the thing happened;
and he received those injuries for rushing to the defence of the
woman he loved, and attempting to thrash the blackguard who had
taken advantage of her trust and belief in him to spoil her life
forever. The woman was, of course, Maggie McFarland. The man was
your charming guest, Captain MacTavish!"

"Good God! MacTavish? MacTavish?"

"Yes, Major--the gallant captain who received such a sudden call to
rejoin his regiment as soon as he knew that Tom Farrow was likely to
recover and to speak. Perhaps you can understand now why Farrow and
the girl no longer seemed to 'hit it off together as formerly.'
The gallant captain had come upon the boards. Dazzled by the beauty
of him, tricked by the glib tongue of him, deluded into the belief
that she had actually 'caught a gentleman' and that he really meant
to make her his wife and take her away to India with him, when he
went, the silly, innocent, confiding little idiot became his vi