at you may the better understand how appalling is the
horror which now assails us, how frightful is the knowledge that some
one now seeks his life, and is using every means to take it."

"In other words, my dear Cleek," put in Narkom, as Lady Chepstow,
overcome with emotion, broke down suddenly, "there appears to be a
sudden and inexplicable change of front on the part of these fanatics,
and they now seem as anxious to bring evil to the little lad as they
formerly were to protect and cherish him. At any rate, some one of their
order has, upon three separate occasions within the last month,
endeavoured to kidnap him, and, in one instance, even attempted to
murder him."

"Is that a fact?" queried Cleek sharply, glancing over at Miss Lorne.
"You are certain it is not a fancy, but an absolute fact?"

"Yes; oh, yes!" she made answer agitatedly. "Twice when I have gone into
the Park with him, attempts have been made to separate us, to get him
away from me; and once they did get him away, so swiftly, so adroitly,
that he had vanished before I could turn round. But, although a bag had
been thrown over his head to stifle his cries, he managed to make a very
little one. I plunged screaming into the undergrowth from which that cry
had come, and was just in time to save him. He was lying on the ground
all bundled up in the bag, and his assailant, who must have heard me
coming, had gone as if by magic. He, however, was able to tell me that
the man was a Cingalese, and that he had 'tried to cut him with a
knife.'"

"Cut him with a knife?" repeated Cleek in a reflective tone, and blew
out a long, low whistle.

"Oh, but that is not the worst, Mr. Cleek," went on Ailsa. "Three days
ago a woman, very beautiful and distinguished-looking, called to see
Lady Chepstow regarding the reference of a former servant, one Jane
Catherboys, who used to be her ladyship's maid. After the caller left, a
box of sugared violets was found lying temptingly open on a table in the
main hall. Little Cedric is passionately fond of sugared violets, and,
had he happened to pass that way before the box was discovered, he
surely would have yielded to the temptation and eaten some. In removing
the box the parlour maid accidentally upset it, and before she could
gather all the violets up her ladyship's little pomeranian dog snapped
up one and ate it. It was dead in six minutes' time! The sweets were
simply loaded with prussic acid. When we came to inquire into