ng, sir, as long as I was not found out." And then they
both burst out laughing. I heard no more than that. Judge for
yourself, Miss.'

Agnes reflected for a moment. A thousand pounds was the sum that had
been sent to Mrs. Ferrari in the anonymous letter. Was that enclosure
in any way connected, as a result, with the conversation between the
Baron and Ferrari? It was useless to press any more inquiries on Mrs.
Rolland. She could give no further information which was of the
slightest importance to the object in view. There was no alternative
but to grant her dismissal. One more effort had been made to find a
trace of the lost man, and once again the effort had failed.

They were a family party at the dinner-table that day. The only guest
left in the house was a nephew of the new Lord Montbarry--the eldest
son of his sister, Lady Barrville. Lady Montbarry could not resist
telling the story of the first (and last) attack made on the virtue of
Mrs. Rolland, with a comically-exact imitation of Mrs. Rolland's deep
and dismal voice. Being asked by her husband what was the object which
had brought that formidable person to the house, she naturally
mentioned the expected visit of Miss Haldane. Arthur Barville,
unusually silent and pre-occupied so far, suddenly struck into the
conversation with a burst of enthusiasm. 'Miss Haldane is the most
charming girl in all Ireland!' he said. 'I caught sight of her
yesterday, over the wall of her garden, as I was riding by. What time
is she coming to-morrow? Before two? I'll look into the drawing-room
by accident--I am dying to be introduced to her!'

Agnes was amused by his enthusiasm. 'Are you in love with Miss Haldane
already?' she asked.

Arthur answered gravely, 'It's no joking matter. I have been all day
at the garden wall, waiting to see her again! It depends on Miss
Haldane to make me the happiest or the wretchedest man living.'

'You foolish boy! How can you talk such nonsense?'

He was talking nonsense undoubtedly. But, if Agnes had only known it,
he was doing something more than that. He was innocently leading her
another stage nearer on the way to Venice.

CHAPTER XIV

As the summer months advanced, the transformation of the Venetian
palace into the modern hotel proceeded rapidly towards completion.

The outside of the building, with its fine Palladian front looking on
the canal, was wisely left unaltered. Inside, as a matter of
necessity, the rooms were