AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "MONSIEUR JUDAS," "THE CARBUNCLE CLUE," "THE WHITE PRIOR," ETC. LONDON FREDERICK WARNE & CO. AND NEW YORK _Copyright. Entered at Stationers' Hall_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Crime II. A Recognition III. The Result Of The Crime IV. Another Discovery V. The Red Star Advertisement VI. A Startling Incident VII. Difficulties VIII. A Mysterious Parcel IX. Vaud and Vaud X. Exit Dr. Renshaw XI. Another Link in the Chain XII. The Intervention of Chance XIII. The Tattooed Cross XIV. Fanks Makes Up his Mind XV. Coming Events XVI. Unhappy Lovers XVII. Two against One XVIII. On the Twenty-First of June XIX. The Defiance of Anne Colmer XX. The Green Overcoat XXI. The Eight Bells Enigma XXII. Mrs. Boazoph Receives a Shock XXIII. The Confession of Hersham XXIV. The Clue of the Handwriting XXV. At Mere Hall, Hants XXVI. Mrs. Prisom's Story XXVII. Mrs. Prisom's Story--_continued_ XXVIII. Sir Louis Explains XXIX. Dr. Binjoy Protests XXX. A Letter from Hersham, Senior XXXI. The Secret is Revealed XXXII. Mrs. Boazoph Tells the Truth XXXIII. How and Why the Deed was Done XXXIV. The Same XXXV. The Opinion of Octavius Fanks Tracked by a Tattoo. CHAPTER I. THE CRIME. On the twenty-first of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four Mr. Fanks, of New Scotland Yard, detective, was walking down the Strand, between the hours of seven and eight in the evening, in the character of Octavius Rixton, of the West End, idler. It may be as well to repeat here, what is no doubt already known--that this individual led a dual existence. He earned his money as a detective, and spent it as a man about town. East of Trafalgar Square he was called Fanks; westward he was known by his real name of Rixton. But few people, were aware that the idler and the worker were one and the same. Nevertheless of necessity four or five persons possessed this knowledge, and of these one was Crate, a brother officer of Fanks, who had worked with him in many cases, and who had a profound respect for his capabilities. Fanks had obtained this ascendancy over Crate's mind by his skilful unravelling of the Chinese Jar mystery. This especial evening Rixton had cast off the name, clothes, and personality of Fanks; and in "propriâ personâ," he was about to treat himself to a melodrama at the Adelphi Theatre. As he was passing through the vestibule, at a quarter to eight, a man came forward and touched him on the arm. To the surprise of Rixton he recognised Crate. "You mentioned that you were coming here this evening, Mr. Rixton," said this latter, who had been instructed to so address his chief on particular occasions. "And I have been waiting for the last half hour to see you." "What is the matter, Crate?"