He took another step and two shadows seemed to fall upon him from behind, one on either side. With primitive instinct a cry of terror and surprise escaped him as he made a desperate movement to wrench himself free, and for a short second he almost succeeded in dragging one hand into a pocket. Then his wrists slowly came together and the handcuffs closed. "I am Inspector Beedel," said the man on his right side. "You are charged with the attempted murder of your wife, Millicent Creake." "You are mad," retorted the miserable creature, falling into a desperate calmness. "She has been struck by lightning." "No, you blackguard, she hasn't," wrathfully exclaimed his brother-in-law, jumping up. "Would you like to see her?" "I also have to warn you," continued the inspector impassively, "that anything you say may be used as evidence against you." A startled cry from the farther end of the passage arrested their attention. "Mr. Carrados," called Hollyer, "oh, come at once." At the open door of the other bedroom stood the lieutenant, his eyes still turned towards something in the room beyond, a little empty bottle in his hand. "Dead!" he exclaimed tragically, with a sob, "with this beside her. Dead just when she would have been free of the brute." The blind man passed into the room, sniffed the air, and laid a gentle hand on the pulseless heart. "Yes," he replied. "That, Hollyer, does not always appeal to the woman, strange to say." THE LAST EXPLOIT OF HARRY THE ACTOR The one insignificant fact upon which turned the following incident in the joint experiences of Mr. Carlyle and Max Carrados was merely this: that having called upon his friend just at the moment when the private detective was on the point of leaving his office to go to the safe deposit in Lucas Street, Piccadilly, the blind amateur accompanied him, and for ten minutes amused himself by sitting quite quietly among the palms in the centre of the circular hall while Mr. Carlyle was occupied with his deed-box in one of the little compartments provided for the purpose.