Heavens! how they applauded her as she ogled and flirted, and winked, and smiled; to hear her was a liberal education--in slang. "Gad, ain't she a jolly little thing," cried Pat, enthusiastically. "Don't lose your heart, old chap," whispered Ronald, "remember Miss Lester." "Begad, my heart's big enough for two," said Pat, with a humorous twinkle in his eye; "but ye needn't be afraid, Ronald, I have no diamonds to give away." "No wonder the theatre elevates the masses," said Gerald to Sir Mark, who was listening to the song with rather a contemptuous smile; "what with burlesques, sensation dramas, aid shilling shockers, we'll soon attain a wonderful degree of civilization." "Oh! you look at everything from a utilitarian point of view," replied Trevor, as the curtain fell on the first act, amid thunders of applause. "I try to," began Foster, when Pat, who had caught the last word imperfectly, started up. "Yes, I'm dry too," he said, gaily; "let us go and worship at the shrine of Bacchus." "You go with Sir Mark," said Foster; "I want to speak with Monteith on business." "Right you are!" replied Pat, "come Sir Mark, I'm as thirsty as a limekiln;" and Mr. Ryan went out of the box humming "Slightly on the mash," followed by Sir Mark Trevor, who was greatly amused with the young Irishman. "Now then," said Ronald, eagerly drawing his chair close to that of Foster's, "what is it, good news?" "I think so," replied the Barrister, leaning back in his chair, "I fancy I've found out Ventin's real name." "The deuce you have! and what is it?" "Leopold Verschoyle." "Oh! the same initials." "Exactly, so that accounts for all his linen being marked L. V." "How did you find out?" asked Ronald. "After you left me to-day, I went to see a detective called Julian Roper, who is omniscient and knows everyone and everything. I told him the whole affair, and he remembered something about the divorce; I told Mm the time it took place, about six years ago, and we looked up a file of the 'Times' and found out the case, which was not reported at full length, and the information we gained was very scanty. We found out, however, the name of Mrs. Verschoyle's solicitors, and went there--the managing clerk is a great friend of mine, and he let me have the briefs, and they correspond in every particular to the story Ventin, or rather Verschoyle, told you." "Then, you think the identity of Ventin with Verschoyle is fully established?" "To ourselves, yes--to others no; we have only the bare story told by the deceased to connect him with the case, and the argument against that, is that he might have read about the case in the papers." "But what motive could he have for telling me such a story?" "None that I can see--I am only putting a supposititious case; but if we are going in for this, we must get our evidence clear and strong." "And what is to be done?"