"Shall be down to see you soon. Am sending this by private messenger who
may be trusted. Case coming on; links nearly all complete. Involve a new
and bewildering possibility that I must impart to you personally. Have
discovered the purpose of S.'s visit to the continent. It was--"

Lord Ronsdale perused the words more rapidly; paused, on his face an
expression of eagerness, expectancy.

"So that was it," he said to himself slowly. "I might have known--"

Voices without caught his attention; he glanced quickly through the
window. Jocelyn Wray and some one else had drawn near, were walking up
the marble steps.

"John Steele!" He, Lord Ronsdale, crumpled the paper in his hand.
"Here!"

* * * * *




CHAPTER X

A CONTEST


A few days passed; the usual round of pastimes inseparable from house
parties served to while away the hours; other guests arrived, one or two