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A LITTLE more than four months had passed, since the return of Iris to
her father's house.

Among other events which occurred, during the earlier part of that
interval, the course adopted by Hugh Mountjoy, when Miss Henley's
suspicions of the Irish lord were first communicated to him, claims a
foremost place.

It was impossible that the devoted friend of Iris could look at her,
when they met again on their way to the station, without perceiving the
signs of serious agitation. Only waiting until they were alone in the
railway-carriage, she opened her heart unreservedly to the man in whose
clear intellect and true sympathy she could repose implicit trust. He
listened to what she could repeat of Lord Harry's language with but
little appearance of surprise. Iris had only reminded him of one, among
the disclosures which had escaped Mr. Vimpany at the inn. Under the
irresistible influence of good wine, the doctor had revealed the Irish
lord's motive for remaining in his own country, after the assassination
of Arthur Mountjoy. Hugh met the only difficulty in his way, without
shrinking from it. He resolved to clear his mind of its natural
prejudice against the rival who had been preferred to him, before he
assumed the responsibility of guiding Iris by his advice.

When he had in some degree recovered confidence in his own unbiased
judgment, he entered on the question of Lord Harry's purpose in leaving
England.

Without attempting to dispute the conclusion at which Iris had arrived,
he did his best to alleviate her distress. In his opinion, he was
careful to tell her, a discovery of the destination to which Lord Harry
proposed to betake himself, might be achieved. The Irish lord's
allusion to a new adventure, which would occupy him in searching for
diamonds or gold, might indicate a contemplated pursuit of the
assassin, as well as a plausible excuse to satisfy Iris. It was at
least possible that the murderer might have been warned of his danger
if he remained in England, and that he might have contemplated
directing his flight to a distant country, which would not only offer a
safe refuge, but also hold out (in its mineral treasures) a hope of
gain. Assuming that these circumstances had really happened, it was in
Lord Harry's character to make sure of his revenge, by embarking in the
steamship by which the assassin of Arthur Mountjoy was a passenger.

Wild as this guess at the truth undoubtedly was, it had one meri