"I don't know where Judas got his experience," said Conniston, coolly, "but as Mrs. Gamp said of Bailly, junior, 'All the wickedness of the world is print to him.'" "I can't believe it of such a lad." "You'll have an opportunity of testing it some day," retorted the young lord. "I only hope Victoria doesn't correspond with Judas. If she does, she'll tell him about a stranger at Cove Castle, and Judas, having seen you with me in the Park, will be quite sharp enough to put two and two together. Then there will be trouble." "But why should he connect me with the crime unless----" "Unless he knows all. He does. You are a marked man, Bernard. However, it's getting late. We'll talk of this to-morrow. I must go and see Durham, and bring him down ostensibly for shooting." "I wish you would bring Alice over," said Bernard. "My heart aches for a sight of her sweet face." "And dearly her face has cost you," said Conniston. "However, I'll ask my dear aunt to come over, and bring Alice. As Miss Berengaria is a relative, it will be thought nothing out of the way. We'll save you yet, Bernard; only I wish we had that one piece of evidence--the handkerchief you lost. When that is found we shall know who is guilty." CHAPTER XI MRS. GILROY'S PAST After making Lucy the mistress of the Hall until the return of its legal master, Mark Durham returned to town. Having regard to the fact that Beryl had taken up his quarters at the Conniston Arms--for what purpose the lawyer could not determine--he thought it wiser not to arouse the crafty young man's suspicions by a visit to Cove Castle. Certainly this was a somewhat over-strained sense of caution, since, being Conniston's lawyer, he could easily have gone there without it being thought odd. But Durham knew that Julius, driven to desperation by the loss of the fortune, would stop at nothing to accomplish his wish to obtain it. Did he learn that Bernard was still alive he would undoubtedly blackmail him. And in the present position of the case, when the truth could not be arrived at, Bernard, for his own safety, would be obliged to make terms. And such terms as Beryl would demand could not be granted.