'I have no secrets, sir; but one of these assailants is my near kinsman--a cousin,' replied Dolores, a little haughtily. 'Then allow me to have the honour of escorting you home.' 'I thank you, sir; the gate is close by.' Again the courteous officer lifted his hat, and held it in one hand, while he led Dolores to the iron gate, which led to the garden-path terminating at the door of the Countess's villa; and then bidding her farewell, he turned away, his good opinion of her by no means increased by her peculiar reticence as to the names of those from whose outrageous conduct he had saved her. 'Odd--very!' he muttered; 'but every woman is an enigma!' As he was about to close the iron gate, something glittering on the gravelled path caught his eye, and it proved to be a bracelet of considerable value, which had become injured in the struggle between Dolores and her assailants, and thus no doubt dropped from her wrist. 'One of her vain gauds, of course,' muttered the General; 'yet why should she not wear such, as all other female tricksters do?--a pretty creature--a charming girl, in fact! But what the devil am I saying? with all her prettiness she is no doubt false as she is fair--Dead Sea fruit, in fact. I shall send her bauble by my servant to-morrow, and--but no--egad! I'll deliver it in person.' Returning to the door of the villa, the General used the great knocker, with which--all unknown to him--the hand of his nephew Lewie Baronald was so familiar. CHAPTER X. THE FAIR WIDOW. While waiting on the door-step he looked a little contemptuously at the female ornament, though it was suggestive of a slender and a pretty wrist; but suddenly the expression of his face changed. He had either seen that gold bracelet before, or one most strangely like it, with a similar circle of diamonds round a large emerald; it gave him some curious, angry and bitter thoughts. 'Mynheer, did you knock?' asked a servant, rousing him from his reverie; and the General then became aware that the door was open, and a flood of warm light was streaming from a chandelier through a stately entrance-hall beyond. He made known his errand, asked for the young lady, and was ushered into the drawing-room, which at that moment was untenanted. Then, as now, the Dutch drawing-room was deemed a kind of sanctum or state-room, entered but seldom, the chief glory of which is always its highly-polished floor; so much so, that in some parts of Holland the visitor is still obliged to take off his shoes, or be very careful how he cleans them before admittance is granted. In the aspect of the mansion there was much that indicated a substantial account at the Bank of Amsterdam; but that was as nothing to General Kinloch: he never thought of it.