my dear sir, if you
like." He took up his hat to go, and then addressed me again. "By the
way," he said, "your clients in Cumberland have not heard anything more
of the woman who wrote the anonymous letter, have they?"

"Nothing more," I answered. "Have you found no trace of her?"

"Not yet," said my legal friend. "But we don't despair. Sir Percival
has his suspicions that Somebody is keeping her in hiding, and we are
having that Somebody watched."

"You mean the old woman who was with her in Cumberland," I said.

"Quite another party, sir," answered Mr. Merriman. "We don't happen to
have laid hands on the old woman yet. Our Somebody is a man. We have
got him close under our eye here in London, and we strongly suspect he
had something to do with helping her in the first instance to escape
from the Asylum. Sir Percival wanted to question him at once, but I
said, 'No. Questioning him will only put him on his guard--watch him,
and wait.' We shall see what happens. A dangerous woman to be at
large, Mr. Gilmore; nobody knows what she may do next. I wish you
good-morning, sir. On Tuesday next I shall hope for the pleasure of
hearing from you." He smiled amiably and went out.

My mind had been rather absent during the latter part of the
conversation with my legal friend. I was so anxious about the matter
of the settlement that I had little attention to give to any other
subject, and the moment I was left alone again I began to think over
what my next proceeding ought to be.

In the case of any other client I should have acted on my instructions,
however personally distasteful to me, and have given up the point about
the twenty thousand pounds on the spot. But I could not act with this
business-like indifference towards Miss Fairlie. I had an honest
feeling of affection and admiration for her--I remembered gratefully
that her father had been the kindest patron and friend to me that ever
man had--I had felt towards her while I was drawing the settlement as I
might have felt, if I had not been an old bachelor, towards a daughter
of my own, and I was determined to spare no personal sacrifice in her
service and where her interests were concerned. Writing a second time
to Mr. Fairlie was not to be thought of--it would only be giving him a
second opportunity of slipping through my fingers. Seeing him and
personally remonstrating with him might possibly be of more use. The
next day was Saturday. I determined to