m to room, and searched everything, and peeped
in everywhere? Do you think there would be any chance--"

The quick-witted Major anticipated the nature of my question. He
followed my example; he too started to his feet, with a new idea in his
mind.

"Would there be any chance," I went on, "of my finding my own way to
my husband's secret in this house? One word of reply, Major Fitz-David!
Only one word--Yes or No?"

"Don't excite yourself!" cried the Major.

"Yes or No?" I repeated, more vehemently than ever.

"Yes," said the Major, after a moment's consideration.

It was the reply I had asked for; but it was not explicit enough, now
I had got it, to satisfy me. I felt the necessity of leading him (if
possible) into details.

"Does 'Yes' mean that there is some sort of clew to the mystery?" I
asked. "Something, for instance, which my eyes might see and my hands
might touch if I could only find it?"

He considered again. I saw that I had succeeded in interesting him in
some way unknown to myself; and I waited patiently until he was prepared
to answer me.

"The thing you mention," he said, "the clew (as you call it), might be
seen and might be touched--supposing you could find it."

"In this house?" I asked.

The Major advanced a step nearer to me, and answered--

"In this room."

My head began to swim; my heart throbbed violently. I tried to speak;
it was in vain; the effort almost choked me. In the silence I could
hear the music-lesson still going on in the room above. The future prima
donna had done practicing her scales, and was trying her voice now in
selections from Italian operas. At the moment when I first heard her
she was singing the beautiful air from the _Somnambula,_ "Come per me
sereno." I never hear that delicious melody, to this day, without being
instantly transported in imagination to the fatal back-room in Vivian
Place.

The Major--strongly affected himself by this time--was the first to
break the silence.

"Sit down again," he said; "and pray take the easy-chair. You are very
much agitated; you want rest."

He was right. I could stand no longer; I dropped into the chair. Major
Fitz-David rang the bell, and spoke a few words to the servant at the
door.

"I have been here a long time," I said, faintly. "Tell me if I am in the
way."

"In the way?" he repeated, with his irresistible smile. "You forget that
you are in your own house!"

The servant returned to us, bringing with him a