With all the grace of manner that belonged to this wonderful detective, Herrion told the story, as he had unearthed it. He pleaded for Raife, and told of the extraordinary influence of the man Malsano. He explained that Raife had not been responsible for his actions, and that a mad, uncontrollable passion had led him into the most dangerous situations. He added: "Lady Remington, in the interests of all, let me most earnestly beg of you to try and overlook these distressing occurrences. Sir Raife has not been conscious of the happenings of the past year. He will be very ill. Slowly he will recover, and let me hope that the sadness of these events will be forgotten. If you will leave it to me I think I can hush matters, and smooth things over. The woman, Gilda Tempest, gave her life for Sir Raife. I hope, Lady Remington, you will not think I exceed my privilege, when I beg of you to forget the past." Lady Remington looked at this extraordinary little man. Then she held out her hand to him, saying: "Yes, Mr Herrion, I will do as you suggest. You have done me a great service, and I will never forget." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seated on the terrace at Aldborough Park were two people, Raife's mother and Hilda. Playing on the lawn was a flaxen-haired little boy, with three puppy dogs. They were rolling over one another after the manner of puppy dogs and children, with that complete _abandon_ and understanding that belong to them. A tall, handsome man, with white hair and slightly bent shoulders, surveyed the scene with a satisfied smile, smoking a pipe the while. The events of that terrible year when Raife Remington was dragged from his high estate to that of a common criminal were forgotten. The fever that followed the last scene of the tragedy had left him white-haired and slightly bent, but he was still a fine and aristocratic figure. The child who played with the puppies on the lawn was the heir to the baronetcy and Aldborough Park. Detective-inspector Herrion had displayed all his tact and cleverness in preventing a renewal of the scandal that followed Raife's disappearance and, in the moments of his leisure, he was a welcome guest at Aldborough Park. Raife's mother, the Dowager Lady Remington, had recovered much of health with the return of the normal conditions of life. The brave American girl, Hilda, who had borne her troubles with courage and resource, was happy. When she knew the terrible conditions of Gilda Tempest's life, she felt sorry for her dead rival, but, she would have been more than human if she had not a sense of relief that the shadow of "the other woman" no longer cast a gloom on her husband's life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The End. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Broken Thread, by William Le Queux