She handed the little hollow bubble of cindery coal-tar to her husband, and he laid it down, took off and wiped his perfectly clean spectacles, and replaced them before carefully examining the portent by the light. "It's a coffin for somebody," he said solemnly; and then, as he carefully cremated the cinder in the most glowing portion of the fire, the couple sighed, resumed their places, and sat listening as the voice of Renee singing to Captain Millet once more came down to where they sat. It was "Ye banks and braes" this time, and when the pathetic old air was ended Salome sighed. "Ah, poor dear, yes--`My false lu-huv has plu-ucked the ro-az, and le-heft the the--horn be-hi-hind with me,'" said and sang Salome, in a little piping plaintive voice. "I hope it isn't for her!" "It may mean only trouble," said Vidler, with his head on one side. "I have known coffins pop out of the fire and no one die." "Oh dear no," said Salome. "There's not a minute passes but someone dies." "No," said Vidler slowly, as if the great problem propounded required much consideration; "but so long as it isn't anyone here, why, it don't matter." "Quite so much," said Salome correctively. "Let me see; it was three for a run. I shall beat you this time. You want fourteen." "Yes," said Vidler, chuckling; "but it's my first show. You want sixteen." "Yes," said Salome, pegging one for a "go," "but I've got hand and crib. Now then." "Sixteen," said Vidler triumphantly, as he threw down his cards and stuck a peg in the winning hole. "Think of that now," said Salome, as she gathered up the cards for what she called a good shuffle, which was performed by dividing the pack in two equal portions and holding them as if about to build a card house, allowing them to fall alternately one over the other. Then they were knocked together hard and square, and handed to Vidler, who gave them what he termed "a Canterbury poke," which consisted in rapidly thrusting his forefinger right to the centre of the pack and driving out a large portion of the cards, which were afterwards placed upon the top. Then the pack was cut once more, and game after game followed till suddenly there was a loud ring at the bell. "What was that?" cried Salome. "The coffin," said Vidler solemnly. "Bless us and save us, man, don't look like that!" cried Salome; "it turns me cold all down my back;" and then, with a shiver, and very wide-open eyes, she followed her little lord up to the front door, where Huish's maid was waiting with a note and a cab to take Renee away. This caused a little flutter upstairs, and a greater one down, where Jane, with a few additions of her own, related the arrest of her master. "It was trouble, then, and not death," said Vidler sagely to his wife, who then had to answer the bell, and assist Renee, who, after a short conference with Captain Millet, dressed and hurried off to join her sister.