promenade; both piers looked beautiful, and were full of life and
activity. It must have been some kind of holiday, although I forget for
what the flags were flying, and there was a holiday look about the town.
I thought I would walk for ten minutes before my breakfast. I went
toward the Chain Pier, drawn by the irresistible attraction of the face
I had seen there last evening.

It struck me that there was an unusual number of people about the Chain
Pier; quite a crowd had collected at the gate. People were talking to
each other in an excited fashion. I saw one or two policemen, and I came
to the conclusion that some accident or other had happened on the pier.
I went up to the crowd--two or three boatmen stood leaning over the
rail.

"What is the matter?" I asked.

"Matter, sir?" replied one; "there is matter enough. There must have
been murder, or something very much like it, done on that pier last
night."

"Murder?" I cried, with a beating heart; "do not use such a horrible
word."

"It is a horrible thing, sir, but it has been done," replied the
boatman.




CHAPTER III.