"Ethelwynn has told me," he was saying. "I can't make out the reason of his coldness towards her. Poor girl! she seems utterly heart-broken." "He suspects," his wife replied. "But what ground has he for suspicion?" I stood there transfixed. They were talking of myself! They had halted quite close to where I was, and in that low roar had raised their voices so that I could distinguish every word. "Well," remarked his wife, "the whole affair was mysterious, that you must admit. With his friend, a man named Jevons, he has been endeavouring to solve the problem." "A curse on Ambler Jevons!" he blurted forth in anger, as though he were well acquainted with my friend. "If between them they managed to get at the truth it would be very awkward," she said. "No fear of that," he laughed in full confidence. "A man once dead and buried, with a coroner's verdict upon him, is not easily believed to be alive and well. No, my dear; rest assured that these men will never get at our secret--never." I smiled within myself. How little did he dream that the man of whom he had been speaking was actually overhearing his words! "But Ethelwynn, in order to regain her place in the doctor's heart, may betray us," his wife remarked dubiously. "She dare not," was the reply. "From her we have nothing whatever to fear. As long as you keep up the appearance of deep mourning, are discreet in all your actions, and exercise proper caution on the occasions when we meet, our secret must remain hidden from all." "But I am doubtful of Ethelwynn. A woman as fondly in love with a man, as she is with Ralph, is apt to throw discretion to the winds," the woman observed. "Recollect that the breach between them is on our account, and that a word from her could expose the whole thing, and at the same time bring back to her the man for whose lost love she is pining. It is because of that I am in constant fear." "Your apprehensions are entirely groundless," he declared in a decisive voice. "She's the only other person in the secret besides ourselves; but to betray us would be fatal to her." "She may consider that she has made sufficient self-sacrifice?" "Then all the greater reason why she should remain silent. She has her reputation to lose by divulging." By his argument she appeared only half-convinced, for I saw upon her brow a heavy, thoughtful expression, similar to that I had noticed when sitting opposite her at dinner. The reason of her constant preoccupation was that she feared that her sister might give me the clue to her secret. That a remarkable conspiracy had been in progress was now made quite plain; and, further, one very valuable fact I had ascertained was that Ethelwynn was the only other person who knew the truth, and yet dared not reveal it. This man who stood before me was old Mr. Courtenay, without a doubt. That being so, who could have been the unfortunate man who had been struck to the heart so mysteriously?