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"You will excuse me, Mr Sholto," said Miss Morstan, "but I a which you desire to tell me It is very late, and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible"

"At the best it must take soo to Norwood and see Brother Bartholoet the better of Brother Bartholo the course which has seeht You cannot iry"

"If we are to go to Norwood it would perhaps be as well to start at once," I ventured to rehed until his ears were quite red "That would hardly do," he cried "I don't knohat he would say if I brought you in that sudden way No, Iyou hoe all stand to each other In the first place, I must tell you that there are several points in the story of which I anorant I can only lay the facts before you as far as I know theuessed, Major John Sholto, once of the Indian aro, and cae in Upper Norwood He had prospered in India, and brought back with hie collection of valuable curiosities, and a staff of native servants With these advantages he bought hireat luxury My twin-brother Bartholomew and I were the only children

"I very well remember the sensation which was caused by the disappearance of Captain Morstan We read the details in the papers, and, knowing that he had been a friend of our father's, we discussed the case freely in his presence He used to join in our speculations as to what could have happened Never for an instant did we suspect that he had the whole secret hidden in his own breast,--that of all men he alone knew the fate of Arthur Morstan

"We did knoever, that so our father He was very fearful of going out alone, and he always ehters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge Williaht-weight chaland Our father would never tell us what it was he feared, but he had a s On one occasion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-leggedfor orders We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up My brother and I used to think this a mere whie our opinion