He told her and looked at her so wistfully that Kyra said with a tired little smile:

"It is all right, Mr. Wicks; it is a note asking me to be at Adelphi Terrace to-night at eight o'clock. The person who brought it did not want an answer I suppose?"

"He did not," said Mr. Wicks, emphatically. "It was a boy; and I regret to say that when I caught hold of him to ask him if an answer was required, he gave me one in the chest and bolted. Boys will be boys, Miss Burns. I suppose there is nothing I can do?" he added, still more wistfully.

Kyra told him "no;" and with her reiterated thanks ringing in his large ears, the faithful Mr. Wicks took his departure: but he went slowly down the street and shook his head thoughtfully at intervals.

A year ago Kyra would have been far too nervous to go to a strange house, even to meet a woman friend, at so late an hour; but amongst other things experience endows us with courage and teaches us self-reliance; and she did not hesitate for a moment. She had promised to go to Bessie when Bessie needed her: it was evident that the poor girl was placed in some difficulty, perhaps in danger. It seemed to Kyra that though she could do little towards guiding her own life, she could help and protect Bessie; and the thought brought her some consolation.

She remained at Walton Street until half-past seven; then she put on her things and made her way to Adelphi Terrace. The night was a wild one and the rain blew in wet gusts across the river and the Embankment. As she approached the steps to the Terrace, holding her thick cape closely round her, and occupied with her thoughts, with the problem which seemed to evade every possible solution, she did not notice the few passers-by, who, like herself, bent their heads before the storm and hurried along the pavement as if anxious to reach a place of shelter; did not notice the tall, thin figure of a man who strode past her with a quick, uneven step, his hat drawn over his brows, and his coat collar turned up, so that his face was almost hidden. He swung past her, without noticing her apparently, and nearly brushed against her; but suddenly he stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder and his hand went up to his lips as if to stifle a cry of amazement and of fear.

He went on a few paces, more slowly; then he stopped again and turned gradually, as if he feared to look back but could not help himself. His face was a sallow whiteness in the lamp-light, and drawn and working like that of a man

who is flying from some peril or, worse still, from some haunting dread.

When he had looked again at the graceful, black-clad figure, he staggered and put out his hand against the stone wall of the Embankment as if for support; and his lips moved with the muttered words:

66

Again! But-but-it's only fancy: or I must be going mad. I'll go home."

He did go a few yards; but as if something were drawing him in the direction in which Kyra had gone, he turned with a savage, desperate oath, as if he were yielding to an irresistible impulse and strode quickly after her, quickly, yes, stealthily.

CHAPTER XLIII.

BESSIE reached Adelphi Terrace at a quarter to eight, and, fighting against her nervousness, rang the visitor's bell. But though she was nervous she was resolute, and she enquired for Captain le Breton in a firm though low voice.

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Captain le Breton is out," said the neat maid-servant. Bessie uttered a faint cry of dismay.

"I-I wrote to him," she faltered; and the girl, eyeing her with the calm scrutiny of the experienced London servant, asked her to step inside.

"If you'll wait here a minute, I'll fetch Mr. Spilkins, Captain le Breton's gentleman. I think he's in."

Bessie sat down in the hall and waited, her nervousness increasing each minute, and presently Spilkins came down.

"I-I want to see Captain le Breton. I wrote to him this morning," said Bessie.

"Captain le Breton started for the country soon after breakfast," said Spilkins, eyeing her with a scrutiny akin to that of the maid, and, like her, satisfied with Bessie's quiet and modest appearance and manner.

"Oh, dear!" she said, with a troubled sigh. "I-I didn't think of his being out. I-I told him I was coming—” "The captain has gone to a place called Heydon-" Then Spilkins stopped: it was not his place to tell his master's whereabouts to a stranger, and a woman to boot.

"To Heydon!" echoed Bessie, with knit brows. "Thenthen when may he come back? Oh, it is so important-it is of the greatest importance! And what is the time, please? I-I must go-" She broke off, as she thought that Kyra might come at any moment.

"Nearly eight," said Spilkins, glancing at his watch. to when Captain le Breton may come back, I can't say. likely that he may dine at his club."

"A It's

66 Couldn't-couldn't you fetch him?" asked Bessie. Spilkins stared at her and rubbed his chin; then he said, rather hesitatingly:

"If it's business of very great importance-well, I might go to the club and tell the captain you want to see him; but as to 'fetching' him-well, that's a bold word, is 'fetching. ››

"I know, I know!" cried poor Bessie, and her evident distress touched Spilkins, who, like most Tommies, was of tender heart. "Please forgive me, but I'm sure, if Captain le Breton knew who was waiting here, who I'm expecting every moment, he would come.

"Give me your name," said Spilkins, with sudden resolution, "and I'll run round to the club and tell him you're here; but don't make certain that he'll come."

"I am Miss Nolly," said Bessie, in a low voice.

Spilkins got his hat and coat and umbrella, and, with another glance at the white, wasted face-a glance of pity-went off. A few minutes later Bessie heard the clocks striking eight, and rose with a timid glance at the door. Then there was a ring at the bell, and the maid-servant came up from the kitchen to answer the summons.

"If-if it is a lady asking for me-Bessie Nolly-will you let her come in, please?" said Bessie.

The maid hesitated a moment, and promptly returned to the kitchen to fetch the landlady. Mrs. Simpkins surveyed Bessie keenly and somewhat severely, for she did not "hold" with visits from "young persons" at that hour of the evening to her respected and much-petted lodger, Captain le Breton, and was naturally disposed to regard them with suspicion. But Bessie's sad, white face and innocent eyes disarmed her as they had disarmed the maid and Spilkins, and she motioned to the maid to open the door.

At Kyra's voice enquiring for her, Bessie uttered a little cry. "She has come!" she breathed, almost unconsciously, and she went forward to meet her.

"Bessie!" said Kyra, quietly. "What is the matter-what has happened? Are you in any trouble?"

For answer Bessie almost sprang to the landlady and agitatedly whispered in her ear:

"She must not know whose house it is, who lives here— must not hear Captain le Breton's name! He will be here

presently-will you let us wait until he comes? And-and do not let her hear his name, please, please; or she will go!"

Mrs. Simpkins regarded her in blank amazement for a moment, then looked at Kyra; and with swift instinct saw that while Bessie was quite "respectable," this other was a lady— and therefore to be implicitly trusted.

"Show the ladies to-upstairs," she said to the maid; and she whispered to Bessie as they passed:

"Is it his sister?"

Bessie shook her head but said nothing, and she and Kyra followed the servant to Lance's sitting-room; then, when the door had closed, Kyra said, gravely:

"Now, Bessie, tell me at once why you asked me to meet you here. I came because I thought you were in trouble, that you had need of me; I came because I promised."

"Yes, yes; I do need you, and others need you-oh, very, very badly, Mary, dear; but, dear, you will not ask me just yet; you will wait, only for a little while! So much depends upon it-oh, you will wait, Mary?"

She caught her hands imploringly as they sat on the sofa side by side, and regarded her with beseeching eyes.

"Of course I will wait, Bessie," Kyra said, but with her brows knit. 66 Are you sure that you have done wisely-I am confident that you are acting with the best intentions-in coming out on such a night, and-and to this strange house; for it is strange to you, Bessie, I can see? You are not strongyou look frightened and anxious."

"No, no; I am not frightened," said Bessie, quickly. "Why should I be? But I am anxious. Oh, if he would only come!" "He! Who? Whom do you expect, whom are you waiting for?" asked Kyra.

At this moment a ring of the bell was heard, and Bessie uttered a cry of relief.

The maid, thinking it was Spilkins, answered it, but drew back a little as she saw a gentleman with his coat-collar turned up, and his pale face streaming with rain.

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A lady has just entered this house," he said, speaking slowly and calmly, with a kind of forced self-possession; lady dressed in black, with her veil down."

Yes, she has, sir," responded the girl.

"That is right," he said, with a smile, a smile as forced as his air of self-possession. "I have just parted from her, and I wanted to say another word to her. May I see her?"

The maid stood and looked at him doubtfully. She noticed that he was in evening dress, and that he had the manner and