he public eye was fixed
searchingly upon Lord Arthur Skelmerton, probing all the inner details
of his idle, useless life.

"It soon became a matter of common gossip that poor little Lady Arthur
continued to worship her handsome husband in spite of his obvious
neglect, and not having as yet presented him with an heir, she settled
herself down into a life of humble apology for her plebeian existence,
atoning for it by condoning all his faults and forgiving all his vices,
even to the extent of cloaking them before the prying eyes of Sir John,
who was persuaded to look upon his son-in-law as a paragon of all the
domestic virtues and a perfect model of a husband.

"Among Lord Arthur Skelmerton's many expensive tastes there was
certainly that for horseflesh and cards. After some successful betting
at the beginning of his married life, he had started a racing-stable
which it was generally believed--as he was very lucky--was a regular
source of income to him.

"Peppercorn, however, after his brilliant performances at Newmarket did
not continue to fulfil his master's expectations. His collapse at York
was attributed to the hardness of the course and to various other
causes, but its immediate effect was to put Lord Arthur Skelmerton in
what is popularly called a tight place, for he had backed his horse for
all he was worth, and must have stood to lose considerably over L5000 on
that one day.

"The collapse of the favourite and the grand victory of King Cole, a
rank outsider, on the other hand, had proved a golden harvest for the
bookmakers, and all the York hotels were busy with dinners and suppers
given by the confraternity of the Turf to celebrate the happy occasion.
The next day was Friday, one of few important racing events, after which
the brilliant and the shady throng which had flocked into the venerable
city for the week would fly to more congenial climes, and leave it, with
its fine old Minster and its ancient walls, as sleepy, as quiet as
before.

"Lord Arthur Skelmerton also intended to leave York on the Saturday, and
on the Friday night he gave a farewell bachelor dinner party at 'The
Elms,' at which Lady Arthur did not appear. After dinner the gentlemen
settled down to bridge, with pretty stiff points, you may be sure. It
had just struck eleven at the Minster Tower, when constables McNaught
and Murphy, who were patrolling the racecourse, were startled by loud
cries of 'murder' and 'police.'

"Quickly ascertai