e as bearer of unfortunate news.

"What is it?" she gasped quickly.

"It concerns Captain Durnford," I replied. "He has been injured in the
street, and is in Charing Cross Hospital."

"Ah!" she cried. "I see. You do not explain the truth. By your face I
can tell there is something more. He's dead! Tell me the worst."

"No, Miss Leithcourt," I said gravely, "not dead, but the doctors fear
that he may not recover. His wound is dangerous. He has been shot by
some unknown person."

"Shot!" she echoed, bursting into tears. "Then they have followed him,
after all! They have deceived me, and now, as they intend to take him
from me, I will myself protect him. You, Mr. Gregg, have been in peril
of your life, that I know, but Jack's enemies are yours, and they shall
not go unpunished. May I see him?"

"I fear not, but we will ask at the hospital." And after the exchange of
some further explanations, we took a hansom back to Charing Cross.

At first the sister refused to allow Muriel to see the patient, but she
implored so earnestly that at last she consented, and the distressed
girl in the black coat and hat crept on tiptoe to the bedside.

"He was conscious for a quarter of an hour or so," whispered the nurse
who sat there, "He asked after some lady named Muriel."

The girl at my side burst into low sobbing.

"Tell him," she said, "that Muriel is here--that she has seen him, and
is waiting for him to recover."

We were not allowed to linger there, and on leaving the hospital I took
her back again to Notting Hill, promising to keep her well informed of
Jack's condition. He had returned to consciousness, therefore there was
now a faint hope for his recovery.

Day succeeded day, and although I was not allowed to visit my friend, I
was told that he was very slowly progressing. I idled at the Hotel Cecil
longing daily for news of Elma. Only once did a letter come from her, a
brief, well-written note from which it appeared that she was quite well
and happy, although she longed to be able to go out. The Princess was
very kind indeed to her, and, she added, was making secret arrangements
for her escape across the Russian frontier into Germany.

I knew what that meant. Use was to be made of certain Russian officials
who were secretly allied with the Revolutionists in order to secure her
safe conduct beyond the power of that order of exile of the tyrant de
Plehve. I wrote to her under cover to the Princess, but there had bee