s immense fortune, and find
out how it was possible for them to divert it to their own channels.
There is Mr. Hamilton to be thought of, too--his injury, his
kidnaping! If we can succeed in unraveling this mysterious tangle of
events without recourse to the fact of our knowledge of the murder, well
and good. If not, we must make use of whatever has come to our hand.
With the rest of the malefactors brought to justice, you can afford to
be magnanimous even to the dead man who has done you the most grievous
wrong of all."

"It shall be as you say--"

She broke off suddenly as her eyes, looking beyond Blaine's shoulder,
fell upon a silent figure in the doorway.

"Mr. Mallowe!" she cried. "When did you come? How is it that Wilkes
failed to announce you?"

"I arrived just at this moment." The smooth, unctuous tones floated
out upon the strained tension of the air. "I told Wilkes I would come
right up. He told me Mr. Blaine was with you, and I wish to
congratulate him on his marvelous success. Surely you do not mind the
liberty I took in announcing myself, my dear child?"

"Not at all," Anita responded, coldly. "To which success of Mr.
Blaine's do you refer, Mr. Mallowe?"

"Why, to his discovery of Ramon, of course." Mr. Mallowe looked from
one to the other of them as if nonplused by Anita's unexpected
attitude. Then he continued hurriedly, with a show of enthusiasm. "It
was wonderful, unprecedented! But how did Ramon come to be in Mac
Alarney's retreat, and so shockingly injured?"

"The same people who ran him down the day Miss Lawton sent for him to
come to her aid--the day she learned of her father's insolvency."
Blaine spoke quickly, before the girl had an opportunity to reply.
"The same people who on two other separate occasions attempted his
life!"

"You cannot mean to tell me that there is some conspiracy on foot
against Ramon Hamilton!" Mallowe's face was a picture of shocked
amazement. "But why? He is the most exemplary of young men, quite a
model in these days--"

"Because he is a man, and prepared to protect and defend to the last
ounce of his strength the thing which he loved better than life
itself--the thing which, but for him, stood helpless and alone,
surrounded by enemies and hopelessly entangled in the meshes of a
gigantic conspiracy!"

"You speak in riddles, Mr. Blaine." Mallowe's gray brows drew
together.

"Riddles which will soon be answered, Mr. Mallowe. Miss Lawton's
natural protector--