d by Cavendish's sudden determination to return West,
and his will disinheriting John. These had compelled earlier action,
yet no radical change in plans, as the machinery was already prepared
and in position. Luck had been with the conspirators when Frederick
called in Enright to draw up the will. What followed was merely the
pressure of his finger on the button.

Enright! Beyond doubt his were the brains dominating the affair. It
was impossible to believe that either Celeste La Rue or Ned
Beaton--chorus girl or gunman--could have ever figured out such a
scheme. They were nothing but pawns, moved by the hand of the chief
player. Aye! and John Cavendish was another!

The whole foul thing lay before Westcott's imagination in its
diabolical ingenuity--Enright's legal mind had left no loophole. He
intended to play the game absolutely safe, so far, at least, as he was
personally concerned.

The money was to go legally to John without the shadow of a suspicion
resting upon it; and then--well, he knew how to do the rest; already he
had a firm grip on a large portion. Yes, all this was reasonably
clear; what remained obscure was the fate of Frederick Cavendish.

Had they originally intended to take his life, and been compelled to
change the plan? Had his sudden, unexpected departure from New York,
on the very eve possibly of their contemplated action, driven them to
the substitution of another body? It hardly seemed probable--for a man
bearing so close a resemblance could not have been discovered in so
short a time. The knowledge of the existence of such a person,
however, might have been part of the original conspiracy--perhaps was
the very basis of it; may have first put the conception into Enright's
ready brain. Aye, that was doubtless the way of it. Frederick was to
be spirited out of the city, accompanied, taken care of by Beaton or
some other murderous crook, and this fellow, a corpse, substituted. If
he resembled Frederick at all closely, there was scarcely a chance that
his identity would be questioned. Why should it be--found in his
apartments? There was nothing to arouse suspicion; while, if anything
did occur, the conspirators were in no danger of discovery. They
risked a possible failure of their plan, but that was all. But if this
was true what had since become of Frederick?

Westcott came back from his musings to this one important question.
The answer puzzled him. If the man was dead why