that justice shall be
done on the inhuman criminal, whoever it may be."

"Justice?" Copplestone returned, in the same weary, monotonous voice.
"Of what use is Justice? Can it call her back--or mend her broken body?"

"Unfortunately, it cannot," the inspector admitted. "But it is all
humanity can do. Will you answer a few questions, as clearly and briefly
as possible? The great thing in a case like this is to lose no time at
the beginning."

Copplestone sat down, and passed an unsteady hand across his forehead.

"Go on," he said dully.

"Where and when did you first meet Miss Manderson?"

"She came over from New York two months ago, to play in a new piece at
the Imperial. I have an interest in the theater, and saw her there for
the first time about a week after her arrival."

"Do you know anything of her life and associations in America?"

"Very little. She was not communicative. She only told me a few of her
theatrical experiences."

"So far as you know," the inspector proceeded, "had she an enemy in this
country--or was there any one who could have wished to harm her?"

"Apparently there was," Copplestone returned. "I did not know it until
to-night."

Mechanically, in the manner of one repeating a lesson, he described the
visit of the young millionaire, and his threat against Christine
Manderson.

"And the name of this young man?" the inspector asked, bending over his
note-book.

"James Layton."

Inspector Fay looked up sharply.

"Layton? The man they call the Mad Philanthropist?"

"I don't know," Copplestone replied wearily. "He may be."

"James Layton is very well known to us," the inspector said slowly. "He
is a charitable fanatic, who does more good in the East End than all the
Royally Patronized Associations put together. But how in the world did
he come to know Miss Manderson?"

"She never mentioned him to me," Copplestone stated. "I had not heard of
him until he burst into this house to-night."

The inspector made several notes.

"He has educated and trained as his assistant a particularly wild
specimen of a coster girl, who is madly in love with him...." He closed
his note-book with a snap. "You say the words he used were that rather
than allow Miss Manderson to become engaged to you, he would tear her to
pieces with his own hands, and utterly destroy her?"

"So they told me," Copplestone answered heavily. "I was not in the
room. I refused to see him."

"And he left quite quietly?"