am of becoming your wife after
what I have discovered about you, and so I am going away; my parents
will not have me at home, so I am going back with Helen Winston, till my
brother Lawrence comes to fetch me, he will no doubt set me up
comfortably and then I shall at least be free from your clutches, even
if I am forced into marrying a poor man.

Mr. Palsey turned an ashy grey and his cruel green eyes gleamed
viciously "What?" he gasped "you say you're going away, going to leave
the man who has never been anything but loving to you; I tell you, you
shant do it, you young cat----" and seizing hold of Gladys's slender
wrists he tried to force her back into the bedroom.

Helen uttered a cry and with a blind idea of doing some good, she flung
herself across Mr. Palsey's arms. Seeing his chance Mr. Palsey thrust
Helen aside and tightning his grip on Gladys pinioned her to the wall,
violently shaking her by the shoulders every time she opened her lips to
speak.

At this critical moment, a loud ring was heard at the door quickly
followed by voices in the hall below, the next moment steps were heard
hastily ascending the stairs. Before anyone could speak, Mr. Palsey felt
himself violently punched in the back, and Gladys recovering herself in
a moment sank sobbing into the arms of _her brother_.

Lawrence Lincarrol was a tall, broad shouldered young man about 6 ft 2
inches. His hair was dark, rather curly and plentiful and was parted at
the side. He had dark blue eyes a dark moustache and great regularity
of features, but there was no resemblance to Gladys in his face
whatever. In age, our hero was about three and twenty.

Having embraced his sister and shaken hands with Helen Lawrence turned
his attention to Mr. Palsey who was shivering in the back-ground.

"Well!" he cried, after scanning the villian from head to foot, "this is
nice conduct I must say; may I ask what you were doing with my sister
when I came in?"

"Oh I was merely advising her to keep out of draughts," replied Mr.
Palsey glaring at the newcomer with hatred in his eyes.

"A most extraordinary way of giving your advice" replied Lawrence, "you
were shaking her as if she was an animal."

"She is obstinate" persisted Mr. Palsey.

"Don't talk nonsense" cried Lawrence hotly, "a man who can contrive
murders and robberies as well as you can, should be able to give a
reasonable answer to a simple question, tell me at once, why you were
shaking my sister in t