Calm yourself, Miss Lorne. You are shaking like a leaf. Try to tell me
plainly what it is that has happened; what the danger is that threatens
this--er--Captain Morford."

"Oh, nothing threatens _him_, personally," she replied. "He says he could
stand it better if it were only that; and I believe him--I truly do. The
thing that nearly drives him out of his mind is the thought that one day
she--the girl he loves--the girl he is to marry--the girl for whose dear
sake he stands ready to give up so much--the thought that one day _her_
turn will come, that one day she, too, will be stricken down as mother
and brothers have been is almost driving him frantic."

"Mother and brothers?--_brothers_?" Cleek looked up sharply, and there
was a curious break in his voice, a yet more curious brightening of his
eyes. "Miss Lorne, am I to understand that this Captain Morford is
engaged to a girl who has _brothers_?"

"Yes. That is--no. She has 'brothers' no longer. There is only one left
living now, Mr. Cleek, only one. Ah, think of it! of that whole family
of six persons, but three are left: Miriam, Flora, and Ronald."

"Miriam, Flora, and ... Miss Lorne, will you tell me please the name of
the lady to whom Captain Morford is engaged?"

"Why Miriam Comstock, of course--did I forget to mention it?"

"I think so," said Cleek; and shook out a little jerky laugh, and stood
looking at her foolishly; not quite knowing what to do with his feet and
hands. But suddenly--"Oh come, let's have the case--let's have it at
once," he broke out impetuously. "Tell me what it is, what I'm to do for
this Captain Morford, and I'll do it if mortal man can."

"And no mortal man can if you cannot--I've faith enough in you for
that," she began, then stopped short and sucked in her breath, and crept
back to the extreme end of the lich-gate and stood shaking and very
pale. Someone had come suddenly round the angle of the church and was
moving up the road that ran past the gate.

"Please--no--let me get away as quickly as possible," she said in a
swift whisper as Cleek, startled by the change in her, made an eager
step forward. "It is known that I have been with them--the
Comstocks--and it is all so mysterious and awful. ... Oh, who can tell
whose hand it may be? who may be spying? or what? It is best that I
should give no hint that assistance has been asked for; best that nobody
should see me talking with _you_--Mr. Narkom says that it is."

"Mr. Narkom