rred to me that such a man would be an invaluable ally.

"We worked together for a while--I forgot to say we had been
married--and I entrusted him with all the letters I had--including
Grell's. Even the keenest woman will be a fool sometimes. You will
guess what happened. He saw no need to share his plunder with me, and he
left me. There was no open quarrel, but I determined that some day I
would get even. But on the few occasions we met afterwards I preserved a
friendly attitude. I even helped him in certain affairs.

"Then there came the time when Mr. Grell sought me out and paid me to
attempt to recover his letters. I jumped at the chance, for apart from
the money it seemed a fine opportunity to score off Goldenburg. I hadn't
much difficulty in getting in touch with him when he reached London. He
thought--and I encouraged the thought--that, like himself, I had been
attracted here by the prospect of bleeding Grell on the eve of his
marriage. I proposed a business partnership, and he, probably laughing
in his sleeve, agreed. He had no intention of paying me my share, but he
thought I might be useful in case the threat of publishing the letters
might not be enough.

"But I never got the letters, although I used every means that occurred
to me. I even suggested that he should entrust them to me so that I
might try to extort money by their means from Lady Eileen Meredith. He
would have none of it. I changed my ground and arranged to accompany him
on what was to be the final decisive interview with Grell on his wedding
eve.

"I said little during the preliminary talk. Both men were firm.
Goldenburg declared that he would not give up the letters entirely.
Grell was equally determined not to pay unless they were given to him.

"When I at length broke into the conversation I asked Grell for the
letters I had written to him. I wanted to get him out of the room. He
must have understood my look, for he at once said he had burnt them, but
would make sure. He left the room. As soon as he was gone I played my
final card with Goldenburg. I knew that the time had gone by for
finesse; I told him that unless he gave up the letters I would suggest
to Grell that he should declare them forgeries, and that I would bear
him out.

"I think even Goldenburg was taken aback, for the revelation that I was
playing double came as a shock to him. He laughed at me at first, but I
could see that he had lost his temper. Then he swore at me for a