122 By Stream and Sea. 



forgotten how on that day when, in a frenzy of passion, she 

 renounced you for declining to pledge yourself to endeavour 

 to obtain what she termed a 'remission of sentence,' she 

 declared that she ought to have been the convict, and not 

 her lover and my unfortunate friend. When she over- 

 whelmed you with reproaches as the cause of the crime, you 

 pronounced her insane. Let me tell you the secret of the 

 poor girl's blighted life. It was by her tempting advice that 

 Tolly committed the forgeries. Until now this secret has 

 been in her keeping, in mine, and in his ; it is now in yours, 

 as you may please. I am bound to state the full circum- 

 stances, for it was your obdurate refusal to sanction Alice's 

 marriage with the man of her choice, because he was not 

 possessed of sufficient wealth, that put the devil into her 

 soul, and his. Alice, distraught with remorse, confided this 

 to me herself in an interview more painful than words can 

 tell. I shall not rest, nor willingly see your face again, until 

 I have found the unhappy girl whose love has been so 

 woefully disastrous, but for whom in this world there can be 

 no more happiness. 



" Although, as a man of the world, you may find conso- 

 lation in the knowledge that my friend's sentence was legally 

 just, this letter will doubtless cause you some pain. For 

 myself, the bitter grief of the immediate past, and the dark 

 cloud hovering over the future, have frozen my heart to ice. 



" Your dutiful son, 



" H. H." 



The following communication was subsequently received 

 by Sir Berton Herbert from Mr. Porsan, a confidential 

 solicitor, who had been dispatched to a remote country 

 village on a special mission by the hon, baronet : 



