"He can be here earlier, Dick," said Fred Cornwall. "Nine o'clock is early enough. It will give us time to sleep and rest. I am physician as well as lawyer in this case, it seems." Robert Lethbridge departed with the message, and he was barely gone before two other visitors presented themselves. These were Kiss, the comedian, and Mr. Linton, the dramatic author. They looked very grave as they entered. Fred Cornwall introduced them to Richard Garden, who cast a shrewd glance at them, and then said, quietly: "You have something to tell us?" "You can speak freely," said Fred. "Mr. Garden and I are working together in this terrible matter." "A terrible matter indeed, Mr. Cornwall," said Kiss, with deep feeling in his voice, "and Mr. Linton and I are responsible for it." The young lawyers looked at their visitors in surprise at this statement. Kiss continued: "It is the melancholy truth that if it had not been for us an innocent young girl, an angel of sweetness and purity, would not be lying at death's door as we stand here. Unless we can prove her innocence it will haunt us to our dying day." "Why do you accuse yourselves?" asked Garden. "Was it not through our folly that Mr. Lethbridge was plunged into difficulties? Believing that my friend Linton had written a play which would make all our fortunes, did we not go to Mr. Lethbridge and by our plausible statements induce him to sign a bill for three hundred pounds which that infamous scoundrel, Jeremiah Pamflett, discounted? You will remember the play I refer to, Mr. Garden; it was _A Heart of Gold_, which, because of an extraordinary first-night speech made by Mr. Linton, blazed up for a fortnight or so, and then spluttered out like a tallow candle with a damp wick. It was in the hope of helping her uncle out of his difficulties--for which we, and we alone, were responsible--that Miss Farebrother paid a visit to her father on the night he was murdered. Had she not gone he would have been murdered all the same--there is no doubt in our minds as to that--and, safe and happy at home with her aunt and uncle, by no possibility could suspicion have been cast upon her. But she _did_ go, because none of us were able to pay the money which Mr. Lethbridge borrowed for us. Do you see now how it is that we are responsible for what has occurred? It is Linton and I who ought to have been placed in the dock instead of that sweet, unfortunate young lady. Since the lying accusation was brought against her, we have not been able to sleep. If exhausted nature compels us to go off in a doze, we start up in affright and horror. There will never again be rest for either of us until Miss Farebrother is set at liberty and her honourable name restored to her." "Your feelings do you credit," said Garden; "but it is not alone to say what you have said that you have come here to-night?"