“I saw him in Court,” Burrell replied, apparently without much interest. “And now, I think, with your permission, miss, I will return to the station. I have seen all that is necessary for my purpose here, and am anxious to get back to town as soon as possible. There are several matters there that demand my attention.” Kitty was silent for a moment. Then she gained her courage and spoke out. “Mr. Burrell,” she said, laying her hand upon his arm, “I suspect you can very well imagine what a terrible time of suspense this is for us. As I said this morning, we all know that my brother is innocent of the crime with which he is charged. But how can we prove it? All our hopes are centred upon you. You have done such wonderful things in the past that surely you can bring the real perpetrator of this hideous crime to justice. Can you not give us even a grain of hope to comfort us? My poor mother is fretting herself to a shadow about it.” “I scarcely know what I can say just yet,” he replied. “I, of course, have begun to form my own theories, but they are too unsubstantial as yet for me to be able to pin any faith upon them--much less to allow you to do so. This, however, I will tell you, and any one who knows me will tell you that it is something for me to admit. What I say is that up to the present moment, I have been more successful than I had dared to hope I should be. Like yourselves, I have a conviction that your brother is innocent, and you may believe me when I say that it won’t be my fault if we can’t prove it. May I ask you to rest content with that? I can not say more.” “I can not thank you sufficiently for your kindness,” she answered. “Your words give me fresh hope. May I tell Miss Devereux what you say?” “Miss Devereux?” asked Burrell, who for the moment had forgotten the young lady in question. “It is to Miss Devereux that my brother is engaged,” Kitty answered. “You may imagine how sad she is. Yet she has been, and still is, so brave about it.” “Not braver than you are, I’ll be bound,” said Burrell gallantly. “And now I will wish you good-afternoon.” He did so, and refusing her offer of a carriage to take him, was soon striding across the park on his way back to the railway station. As he walked along he thought of what he had done that day, and of the strange good fortune that had so far attended his efforts. “It is only the merest guess,” he said to himself, “and yet it’s the old, old story. It is when they think themselves most secure, and that detection is impossible, that they are in the greatest danger. At that point some minute circumstance is sufficient to give them away, and it’s all over. This looks as if it will prove another example of the one rule.” It was nearly five o’clock when he reached London. Arriving there he called a hansom and bade the man drive him with all speed to Mr. Codey’s office. As it happened he was only just in time to catch the lawyer, who was on the point of leaving.