o the police?"

Mrs. Octagon stepped back a pace. "Yes, I should," she faltered.

Cuthbert Mallow looked at her, wondering why she was so agitated, and
Juliet stole her hand into his. Then he addressed her seriously.

"Mrs. Octagon," he said, "your remark about my uncle leads me to think
you suspect him."

"No I don't. But you can't marry Juliet on account of this crime."

"Then you hear me," said Mallow, driven into a corner, "from this
moment I devote myself to finding out who killed your unfortunate
sister. When the assassin is discovered you may consent to our
marriage."

But he spoke to empty air. Mrs. Octagon had left the room, almost
before the first words left his mouth.

CHAPTER V

LORD CARANBY'S ROMANCE

Cuthbert was considerably perplexed by the attitude of Juliet's mother.
She had always been more than kind to him. On the announcement that he
wished to marry her daughter, she had expressed herself well pleased,
and during the engagement, which had lasted some six months, she had
received him as Juliet's intended husband, with almost ostentatious
delight. Now, for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly changed her
mind and declined to explain. But rack his brains as he might,
Cuthbert could not see how the death of a sister she had quarrelled
with, and to whom she had been a stranger for so long, could affect the
engagement.

However, there was no doubt in his mind that the refusal of Mrs.
Octagon to approve of the marriage lay in the fact that her sister had
met with a violent end. Therefore Mallow was determined to see
Jennings, and help him to the best of his ability to discover the
assassin. When the criminal was brought to justice, either Mrs.
Octagon's opposition would be at an end, or the true reason for its
existence would be revealed. Meantime, he was sure that she would keep
Juliet out of his way, and that in future he would be refused
admittance to the "Shrine of the Muses." This was annoying, but so
long as Juliet remained true, Cuthbert thought he could bear the
exclusion. His betrothed--as he still regarded the girl--could meet
him in the Park, at the houses of mutual friends, and in a thousand and
one places which a clever woman like her could think of. And although
Cuthbert knew that Mrs. Octagon had frequently regretted the refusal of
her daughter to marry Arkwright, and would probably try and induce her
to do so now that matters stood thus, yet he was not afr