any secrets from me. Dear old Gurridge never lost an opportunity
of firing sage maxims at us when I used to go to her school. I think
the one to suit this occasion ran something like this--

'Secrets withheld 'twixt man and wife,
Infallibly end in connubial strife.'

"She always made her rhymes up as she went along. She's a sweet old
dear, but so funny."

But Grey was not heeding the girl's chatter. His face was serious and
his obstinate mouth was tight-shut. He was gazing with introspective
eyes at the paper which was now lying in the girl's lap. Suddenly he
leaned further forward and spoke almost in a whisper.

"Look here, Prue, I want you to listen seriously to what I have to
say. I'm not a man given to undue hopefulness. I generally take my own
way in things and see it through, whether that way is right or wrong.
So far I've had some successes and more failures. If I were given to
dreaming or repining I should say Fate was dead against me. That last
smasher I came in the mountains, when I lost the Government bullion,
nearly settled me altogether, but, in spite of it all, I haven't given
up hope yet, and what is more, I anticipate making a big coup shortly
which will reinstate me in favour with the heads of my department. My
coup is in connection with the notice you have just read out from the
'Agony' column."

The girl nodded. She was quite serious now. Grey paused, and the
ticking of the grandfather's clock on the other side of the room
pounded heavily in the twilight The murmur of the old ladies' voices
occasionally reached the lovers, but it did not interrupt them or
divert their attention from their own affairs.

"That notice," Grey went on, "has appeared at regular intervals in the
paper, and is a message to certain agents from a certain man, to say
that certain illicit work has been carried out. I have discovered who
this man is and the nature of his work. It does not matter who he is
or what the work; in fact, it would be dangerous to mention either,
even here; the point is that I have discovered the secret, and I,
alone, am going to benefit by my discovery. I am not going to let any
one share the reward with me. I want to reinstate myself with the
authorities, and so regain my lost position, then no one will be able
to say things about my marriage with you."

"No one had better say anything against you in my hearing, anyway,
Leslie," the girl put in quickly. "Because