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Hugh paused

"I--I had reasons--private reasons of h We all have private reasons for doing silly things, and it see I hear that Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo, after the doctors operated upon her brain, has now become a hopeless idiot"

"So I've been told It is all so very sad--so horrible Though people have denounced her as an adventuress, yet I know that at heart she is a real good woman"

"Is she? How do you know?" asked Benton quickly, for instantly he was on the alert

"I know And that is all"

"But tell h--tell ht You must have followed her fro at the door and asked to see her?"

"Yes, I did"

"Why?"

"I had h?" asked the tall e, low voice "Remember, I am an old friend of your father And I ah pursued his walk in silence

"No," he said at last, "I prefer not to discuss the affair That night is one full of painful memories"

"Very well," answered Benton shortly "If you don't want to tell arette," and he handed the young fellow his heavy gold case

A week passed Hugh Henfrey and Charles Benton greatly enjoyed their stay at Shapley Manor With their hostess they hbourhood, never, by the way, descending into the town of Guildford, where the police were so unusually alert and shrewd

More than once when alone with Benton, Hugh felt impelled to refer to the mysterious death of his father, but it was a very painful subject The last tih had referred to it, about a reatly upset, and had begged the young ic affair

Constantly, however, Benton, on his part, would put cunning questions to hi her, and how he had ht as they sat together in the billiard-rooar froot to tell you, Mrs Bond has been awfully good to Louise She took her fro tour, first to Spain and other places, and then to New York and back"