e
thought that flashed through her dazed brain as she watched him, with
bated breath and dilated eyes.

"It was only a false alarm; nobody would be roaming through the
corridor of this place at this ghostly hour!" he muttered, sallying
forth. "It seems that I was more scared than hurt on this occasion.
Now for the library, to find that sum of money which my foolish
mamma-in-law-that-is-to-be mentioned having placed there. It's a daring
risk, stealing into the house like a thief in the night to search for
it, but there's no other way to get it, and money I must have without
delay.

"It's mighty dangerous going through this corridor in this bright light.
I wish I knew where to turn it off; the chandelier is too high or I'd do
it in that way. I'm liable to be seen at any moment, if any one should
take it into their head to come down through the house for any reason
whatsoever."

The next moment he had disappeared within the library, closing the door
neatly to after him. The next moment he had lighted the shaded night
lamp that stood on the table.

Turning out the gas in the corridor, Faynie glided forward like a
shadow, and, reaching the library, noiselessly pushed open the door,
which he had left slightly ajar.

"What was he doing here?" she wondered vaguely, her eyes blazing with
fierce indignation as she stood there considering what her next action
should be. He decided, the question by exclaiming:

"Ha! This is the little iron safe she mentioned: of course the money is
here, and the will is probably here, too, for that matter, which states
that all of the Fairfax fortune goes to the old lady--which means the
pretty Claire ultimately. Well, the more money the better; there is no
one more competent to make it fly at a gay pace than myself. A prince of
the royal blood couldn't go at a faster pace than I have been going
during these last three weeks! Ha, ha, ha!"

In a moment he was kneeling before the safe. To his intense satisfaction
the knob yielded to his deft touch.

"I shall have less trouble than I anticipated," he muttered, with a
little chuckle.

Faynie stood motionless, scarcely three feet behind him, watching him
intently, with horror-stricken eyes and glued tongue.

She saw him take a roll of bills, and after carefully counting them,
transfer them to his pocket.

Heirlooms, too, in the way of a costly diamond stud, sleeve links, and
massive watch and chain, which had been her father's, went the s