t
as evidence."

"Ye want to know who the lady is?" said Rhoda sharply.

"Yes, I do. Can you tell me?"

"No; but you'll find out from that cloak. I guess why you're taking it."

"You are very sharp, Rhoda," said Lucian, rising, with a good-humoured
smile, "and well deserve your local reputation. If I find Mr. Wrent, I
may require you to identify him; and Mrs. Bensusan also."

"I'll be able to do that, but missus hasn't her eyes much."

"Hasn't her eyes?" repeated Denzil, with a glance at Mrs. Bensusan's
staring orbs.

"Lawks, sir, I'm shortsighted, though I never lets on. Rhoda, 'ow can
you 'ave let on to the gentleman as I'm deficient? As to knowing Mr.
Wrent, I'd do so well enough," said Mrs. Bensusan, tossing her head,
"with his long white beard and white 'ead, let alone his black velvet
skull-cap."

"Oh, he wore a skull-cap?"

"Only indoors," said Rhoda sharply, "but here I'm 'olding the door wide,
sir, so if you've done, we're done."

"I'm done, as you call it, for the present," replied Denzil, putting on
his hat, "but I may come again. In the meantime, hold your tongues.
Silence on this occasion will be gold; speech won't even be silver."

Mrs. Bensusan laughed at this speech in a fat and comfortable sort of
way, while Rhoda grinned, and escorted Lucian to the front door. She
looked so uncanny, with her red hair and black eyes, that the barrister
could not forbear a question.

"Are you English, my girl?"

"No, I ain't!" retorted Rhoda emphatically. "I'm of the gentle Romany."

"A gipsy!"

"So you Gorgios call us!" replied the girl, and shut the door with what
seemed to be unnecessary violence. Lucian went off with the cloak over
his arm, somewhat discomposed by this last piece of information.

"A gipsy!" he repeated. "Humph! Can good come out of Nazareth? I don't
trust that girl much. If I knew why she hates Wrent, I'd be much more
satisfied with her information. And who the deuce is Wrent?"

Lucian had occasion to ask himself this question many times before he
found its answer, and that was not until afterwards. At the present
moment he dismissed it from his mind as unprofitable. He was too busy
reflecting on the evidence obtained in Jersey Street to waste time in
conjecturing further events. On returning to his lodgings he sat down to
consider what was best to be done.

After much reflection and internal argument, he decided to call upon
Mrs. Vrain, and by producing the cloak, force her in