feet, with the colour all dashed in an

instant from her beautiful face. her eyes glazed -- she tottered

-- i thought that she would faint. then with a grand effort she

rallied from the shock, and a supreme astonishment and indignation

chased every other expression from her features.

"you -- you insult me, mr. holmes."

"come, come, madam, it is useless. give up the letter."

she darted to the bell.

"the butler shall show you out."

"do not ring, lady hilda. if you do, then all my earnest efforts

to avoid a scandal will be frustrated. give up the letter and all

will be set right. if you will work with me i can arrange

everything. if you work against me i must expose you."

she stood grandly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon

his as if she would read his very soul. her hand was on the bell,

but she had forborne to ring it.

"you are trying to frighten me. it is not a very manly thing, mr.

holmes, to come here and browbeat a woman. you say that you know

something. what is it that you know?"

"pray sit down, madam. you will hurt yourself there if you fall.

i will not speak until you sit down. thank you."

"i give you five minutes, mr. holmes."

"one is enough, lady hilda. i know of your visit to eduardo

lucas, of your giving him this document, of your ingenious return

to the room last night, and of the manner in which you took the

letter from the hiding-place under the carpet."

she stared at him with an ashen face and gulped twice before she

could speak.

"you are mad, mr. holmes -- you are mad!" she cried, at last.

he drew a small piece of cardboard from his pocket. it was the

face of a woman cut out of a portrait.

"i have carried this because i thought it might be useful," said

he. "the policeman has recognised it."

she gave a gasp and her head dropped back in the chair.

"come, lady hilda. you have the letter. the matter may still be

adjusted. i have no desire to bring trouble to you. my duty ends

when i have returned the lost letter to your husband. take my

advice and be frank with me; it is your only chance."

her courage was admirable. even now she would not own defeat.

"i tell you again, mr. holmes, that you are under some absurd

illusion."

holmes rose from his chair.

"i am sorry for you, lady hilda. i have done my best for you; i

can see that it is all in vain."

he rang the bell. the butler entered.

"is mr. trelawney hope at home?"

"he will be home, sir, at a quarter to one."

holmes glanced at his watch.

"still a quarter of an hour," said he. "very good, i shall wait."

the butler had hardly closed the door behind him when lady hilda

was down on her knees at holmes's feet, her hands outstretched,

her beautiful face upturned and wet with her tears.

"oh, spare me, mr. holmes! spare me!" she pleaded, in a frenzy of

supplication. "for heaven's sake, don't tell him! i love him so!

i would not bring one shadow on his life, and this i know would

break his noble heart."

holmes raised the lady. "i am thankful, madam, that you have come

to your senses even at this last moment! there is not an instant

to lose. where is the letter?"

she darted across to a writing-desk, unlocked it, and drew out a

long blue envelope.

"here it is, mr. holmes. would to heaven i had never seen it!"

"how can we return it?" holmes muttered. "quick, quick, we must

think of some way! where is the despatch-box?"

"still in his bedroom."

"what a stroke of luck! quick, madam, bring it here!"

a moment later she had appeared with a red flat box in her hand.

"how did you open it before? you have a duplicate key? yes, of

course you have. open it!"

from out of her bosom lady hilda had drawn a small key. the box

flew open. it was stuffed with papers. holmes thrust the blue

envelope deep down into the heart of them, between the leaves of

some other document. the box was shut, locked, and returned to

the bedroom.

"now we are ready for him," said holmes; "we have still ten

minutes. i am going far to screen you, lady hilda. in return you

will spend the time in telling me frankly the real meaning of this

extraordinary affair."

"mr. holmes, i will tell you everything," cried the lady. "oh,

mr. holmes, i would cut off my right hand before i gave him a

moment of sorrow! there is no woman in all london who loves her

husband as i do, and yet if he knew how i have acted -- how i have

been compelled to act -- he would never forgive me. for his own

honour stands so high that he could not forget or pardon a lapse

in another. help me, mr. holmes! my happiness, his happiness,

our very lives are at stake!"

"quick, madam, the time grows short!"

"it was a letter of mine, mr. holmes, an indiscreet letter written

before my marriage -- a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive,

loving girl. i meant no har