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 train, this morning, and have simply been…traveling right up to the present moment.”…

“Then you have not heard? You don’t know that a—murder—has been committed?”

“Murder! Not—not”…

“Not any one connected with Mr. Leroux; no, thank God! but it was done in his flat.”…

Miss Ryland brushed a whisk of straight hair back from her brow with a rough and ungraceful movement.

“My dear,” she began, taking a French telegraphic form from her pocket, “you see this message? It’s one which reached me at an unearthly hour this morning from Harry Leroux. It was addressed to his wife at my studio; therefore, as her friend, I opened it. Mira Leroux has actually visited me there twice since her marriage—”

“Twice!” Helen rose slowly to her feet, with horrified eyes fixed upon the speaker.

“Twice I said! I have not seen her, and have rarely heard from her, for nearly twelve months, now! Therefore I packed up post-haste and here I am! I came to you, because, from what little I have heard of you, and of your father, I judged you to be the right kind of friends to consult.”…

“You have not seen her for twelve months?”

Helen’s voice was almost inaudible, and she was trembling dreadfully.

“That’s a fact, my dear. And now, what are we going to tell Harry Leroux?”