ttle news for you, Mr Capel."

"What, have you found the clue?"

"Not yet," said the old man, quietly; "but I have found an angel."

"A what?"

"An angel. You did not know we had one in this house."

"Indeed, but I did," cried Capel.

"Ah, yes," said the old man, looking at him thoughtfully; "but I'm
afraid we are not thinking of the same."

"Indeed, but we are," said Capel, warmly. "No one who has seen Miss
D'Enghien--"

"Could hesitate to say that she is a very handsome woman," said the old
lawyer, "but I was referring to Miss Lawrence."

"A lady for whom I entertain the most profound esteem," said Capel.

"Which will be strengthened, sir, when I tell you that she came to me
and made a proposition that--"

The old lawyer's communication was checked by the announcement of a
visitor for Mr Capel, and the doctor, Mr Heston, was ushered in.

His visit was not productive of much, for he had only to announce that
he was more and more sure in his own mind that he was right, the result
being that Capel asked him to wait before taking any further steps, and
Dr Heston went away rather dissatisfied in his own mind.

"If he does not follow up my proposals," he said to himself, "I shall
begin to think that he has some reason of his own for keeping the matter
quiet."

The ladies returned directly the doctor had gone, and Artis, in
pursuance of his instructions, made himself so agreeable to Capel that
he did not leave him alone with the old lawyer, while at dinner and
during the evening no opportunity was likely to occur for a private
conversation.

"I'll see you directly after breakfast to-morrow morning, Mr Capel,"
the old man said. "I should prefer a quiet business chat with you, for
the matter is important."

"I should like to have heard it at once," replied Capel, "but as you
will."

Suspicion was very busy in the Dark House in those days, for the butler
had found that for several nights past chamber candles had been burned
down in the sockets in one of the candlesticks, which candlestick was
left in the drawing-room, while a tall candlestick was afterwards taken
up to the bedroom.

Preenham wanted to know why Mr Capel, "or the young master," as he
termed him, should want to sit up so late, so he watched, and saw that,
night after night, he stayed down in the drawing-room for hours. But he
found out nothing, only that the cold struck, even through the mat, from
the stone floor, and that he was chilly