of keeping with Mrs. Vrain's character of a
mourning widow.

"You seem to have made an impression on the lady, Mr. Denzil," he said,
with a slight cough to conceal his amusement.

"Nonsense!" replied Lucian, his fair face crimsoning with vexation. "She
seems to me one of those shallow women who would sooner flirt with a
tinker than pass unnoticed by the male sex. I don't like her," he
concluded, with some abruptness.

"On what grounds?"

"Well, she spoke very hardly about her husband, and seemed rather more
concerned about this assurance money than his death. She is a flippant
doll, with a good deal of the adventuress about her. I don't think,"
said the barrister significantly, "that she is altogether so ignorant of
this matter as she pretends to be."

The detective raised his eyebrows. "You don't propose to accuse her of
the murder?" he asked sceptically.

"Oh, no!" answered Denzil hastily. "I don't say she is as guilty as all
that; but she knows something, or suspects something."

"How do you make that out?"

"She fainted at the mention of stiletto; and I am convinced that
Vrain--as I suppose we must call him now--was killed with one. And
again, Link, this woman admitted that she had married her elderly
husband in Florence. Now, Florence, as you know, is an Italian town; a
stiletto is an Italian weapon. Putting these two things together, what
do you make of Mrs. Vrain's fainting?"

"I make nothing of it, Mr. Denzil. You are too suspicious. The woman
had no reason to rid herself of her husband as you hint."

"What about the assurance money?"

"There is a motive there, certainly--a motive of gain. Still, I think
you are making a mountain out of a molehill, for I am satisfied that she
knows no more who committed the crime than does the Pope himself."

"It is as well to look in every direction," said Lucian obstinately.

"Meaning that I should follow this clue you suggest, which has no
existence save in your own fancy. Well, I'll keep my eye on Mrs. Vrain,
you may be sure of that. It won't be difficult, as she will certainly
stay in town until she identifies the body of her dead husband and gets
the money. If she is guilty, I'll track her down; but I am certain she
has nothing to do with the crime. If she had, it is not likely that she
would enter the lion's den by coming to see me. No, no, Mr. Denzil; you
have found a mare's nest."

Lucian shrugged his shoulders, and took up his hat to go.

"You may b