Felix seized me by the arm and dragged me back to my seat. He was now much agitated, but made every effort to restrain his emotion. "Sit down," he said in a hoarse tone. "You do me wrong, Denham--on my soul you do me wrong. I was engaged! I am engaged to Olivia Bellin; her mother consented to our engagement after I returned to England three months ago. Felix, I believe, is in Paris! I don't know whom you met at the inn last night. It was not I--it could not have been Felix. There was no appointment between us. I am not masquerading as Francis, because I am Francis." "I don't believe you!" "You must! I can bring forward witnesses to prove my identity!" "They may be misled by the resemblance. Remember you and Francis are twins." "I said before, and I say it again, you are mad!" he cried, roughly casting me off. "Who ever heard of an appointment being made at a ruined inn? No one has lived there for months. Anyone in Marshminster will tell you so." "Strent and his daughter Rose----" I began, when he cut me short. "Who are they? I never heard of them. They are figments of some dream. You went into that ruined inn last night and dreamed all this." "You don't believe my story?" "Not one word," said Felix, coolly looking me straight in the face. "Then I don't believe one word of yours!" I cried, jumping up; "let us place the matter in the hands of the authorities and see who will be believed." "What are you going to say, Denham?" "Say! that Francis Briarfield has died in the Fen Inn." "You won't believe that I am Francis?" he said, evidently making some resolve. "No, you are Felix!" "One moment," he said, going to the door; "I shall prove my identity, and in a manner that will admit of no denial." With that he vanished, and I waited to see what further evidence he would bring forward to back up his imposture. CHAPTER IV. OLIVIA'S EVIDENCE. Here was no doubt that Felix intended to continue passing himself off as Francis. For how long I was uncertain; perhaps for the rest of his natural life, or until he made Olivia his wife. In this latter event he could reveal the fraud with impunity and revert to his own identity. I could not help thinking that he had been informed beforehand of the death of his brother, else he would not have dared to keep up his imposture with a possible revelation so near at hand. Even assuming such ignorance, I had now told him of the death myself, and so strengthened his position. I regretted that I had not been more cautious.