"It is all so strange," she said with a low sigh, "that sometimes, when I am alone, I can't believe it to be true. We have deceived the world so completely." "Of course. That was my intention." "But could it not have been done without the sacrifice of that man's life?" she queried. "Remember! The crime of murder was committed." "You are only dreaming!" he replied, in a hard voice. "A mystery was necessary for our success." "And it is a mystery which has entirely baffled the police in every particular." "As I intended it should. I laid my plans with care, so that there should be no hitch or point by which Scotland Yard could obtain a clue." "But our future life?" she murmured. "When may I return again to you? At present I am compelled to feign mourning, and present a perfect picture of interesting widowhood; but--but I hate this playing at death." "Have patience, dear," he urged in a sympathetic tone. "For the moment we must remain entirely apart, holding no communication with each other save in secret, on the first and fifteenth day of every month as we arranged. As soon as I find myself in a position of safety we will disappear together, and you will leave the world wondering at the second mystery following upon the first." "In how long a time do you anticipate?" she asked, looking earnestly into his eyes. "A few months at most," was his answer. "If it were possible you should return to me at once; but you know how strange and romantic is my life, compelled to disguise my personality, and for ever moving from place to place, like the Wandering Jew. To return to me at present is quite impossible. Besides--you are in the hands of the executors; and before long must be in evidence in order to receive my money." "Money is useless to me without happiness," she declared, in a voice of complaint. "My position at present is one of constant dread." "Whom and what do you fear?" "I believe that Dr. Boyd has some vague suspicion of the truth," she responded, after a pause. "What?" he cried, in quick surprise. "Tell me why. Explain it all to me." "There is nothing to explain--save that to-night he seemed to regard my movements with suspicion." "Ah! my dear, your fears are utterly groundless," he laughed. "What can the fellow possibly know? He is assured that I am dead, for he signed my certificate and followed me to my grave at Woking. A man who attends his friend's funeral has no suspicion that the dead is still living, depend upon it. If there is any object in this world that is convincing it is a corpse." "I merely tell you the result of my observations," she said. "In my opinion he has come here to learn what he can." "He can learn nothing," answered the "dead" man. "If it were his confounded friend Jevons, now, we might have some apprehension; for the ingenuity of that man is, I've heard, absolutely astounding. Even Scotland Yard seeks his aid in the solving of the more difficult criminal problems."