The Third Volume Read online

  Produced by Suzanne Shell, Ernest Schaal, and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Thisfile was produced from images generously made availableby The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

  THE THIRD VOLUME

  THE THIRD VOLUME

  BY FERGUS HUME _Author of "The Lone Inn," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "The Chinese Jar," Etc._

  NEW YORK THE CASSELL PUBLISHING CO. 31 EAST 17TH STREET (UNION SQUARE)

  COPYRIGHT, 1894, BY FERGUS HUME.

  COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY THE CASSELL PUBLISHING CO.

  _All rights reserved._

  THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J.

  Oh, mothers, wisely sang ye, When oft we went astray, "Ye weave the ropes to hang ye, Ye forge the swords to slay."

  The ropes we wove so gladly, Have robbed us of our breath, The swords we forged so madly, Have smitten us to death.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. AN OLD FRIEND, 1

  II. A MYSTERIOUS COMMUNICATION, 10

  III. THE REVELATION OF FRANCIS HILLISTON, 19

  IV. WHAT OCCURRED AT HORRISTON, 27

  V. A STRANGE COINCIDENCE, 37

  VI. TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION, 45

  VII. "LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE," 52

  VIII. BOTH SIDES OF THE QUESTION, 61

  IX. MRS. BEZEL, 67

  X. A FEW FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE CASE, 78

  XI. A STARTLING DISCOVERY, 86

  XII. REVELATIONS, 94

  XIII. ON THE TRACK, 102

  XIV. THE UPPER BOHEMIA, 109

  XV. A POPULAR AUTHOR, 117

  XVI. A FALSE MOVE, 124

  XVII. THE HUSBAND AT KENSINGTON GORE, 131

  XVIII. A DUEL OF WORDS, 138

  XIX. TAIT BRINGS NEWS, 147

  XX. A PRECIS OF THE CASE, 154

  XXI. THORSTON, 160

  XXII. IN THE CHURCH, 168

  XXIII. FACT AND FICTION, 175

  XXIV. A NEW SUSPICION, 182

  XXV. THE RECLUSE, 192

  XXVI. AN OLD SERVANT, 200

  XXVII. A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST, 210

  XXVIII. PREPARING THE GROUND, 220

  XXIX. KERRY, 228

  XXX. MRS. BEZEL AGAIN, 235

  XXXI. AN EVENING AT THE VICARAGE, 241

  XXXII. THE DISCOVERIES OF SPENSER TAIT, 249

  XXXIII. THE STORY OF THE MAD GARDENER, 258

  XXXIV. A LETTER FROM HORRISTON, 268

  XXXV. THE ORIGINAL OF THE PORTRAIT, 275

  XXXVI. A STRANGE THING HAPPENS, 282

  XXXVII. A VOICE FROM THE DEAD, 290

  XXXVIII. A NEW ASPECT OF THINGS, 299

  XXXIX. THE GARNET SCARFPIN, 306

  XL. FACE TO FACE, 314

  XLI. AN EXPLANATION, 321

  XLII. THE TRAGEDY OF A WOMAN'S VANITY, 329

  XLIII. THE LAST APPEARANCE OF FRANCIS HILLISTON, 336

  XLIV. THE TRUTH, 343

  XLV. A FEW WORDS BY SPENSER TAIT, 351

  THE THIRD VOLUME.