Chapter I: Front Matter

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 PRÉCIS 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.