"By the by, Raife," said his friend, apparently disregarding the confession of love, "did anything come to light over your governor's dying words. It was something about a `trap,' and there was a woman in it, wasn't there?" "No! nothing came to light. It looks as though I've got a very first-class family skeleton in my cupboard." Raife said this reflectively, rather sadly. Then, bracing himself up, he exclaimed: "It'll take several skeletons to scare me, however. I don't think I'm either timid or nervous." "Ha! ha! Well, now for a trip to Nice," he added, with a don't-care-a-hang air, "and be bothered to the lawyers for a time. I'll find Gilda Tempest. I swear I will, and her old uncle can be hanged for a meddlesome old ass." It was in March when the young baronet, who in such tragic circumstances had just inherited large estates and twenty thousand pounds a year, arrived at the Hotel Royal, on the Promenade des Anglais, at Nice. His mother, the widowed Lady Remington, accompanied him. Having disposed of her ladyship in a cosy corner among the palms, Raife started on his hot-headed search for Gilda. He was not long disappointed, for in the big lounge of the hotel, not crowded at this moment, he saw Gilda, exquisitely dressed, and accompanied by a distinguished-looking old man. The old gentleman was Doctor Danilo Malsano--the uncle of Gilda Tempest. Doctor Malsano was tall, and there was a certain air of distinction about him. A superficial graciousness of manner disguised from the casual observer the sinister cast of his countenance. He had long black hair, receding from a high forehead, leaving two circular, bald patches on either side. A powerful jaw, and somewhat hollow cheeks, with glittering white teeth and small ears, completed the clean-shaven appearance, with the exception of his eyes and bushy eyebrows. More has been written on the subject of eyes than of any other portion of human anatomy, but Doctor Malsano's eyes were unique. At a glance they suggested a squint. Here was neither a squint nor an aggravated form of astigmatism. The right eye was of a steely blue, that pierced the observer with the sharpness of a gimlet. The left eye was a swivel eye, and served the purpose of preventing one from determining which eye was gazing at you. There is a certain type of Scotch sheep-dog which possesses eyes of the colour of the doctor's left eye. It is almost colourless, and with a dark spot in the centre of the right iris.