How pure the passion of a woman\'s love—
How innocent the heart that bleeds;
The wretch is worshiped like the saints above
In spite of weaknesses and guilty deeds.

The news of Dr. Seward\'s mysterious death fell like a thunder bolt upon the household he had left so recently across the water.

Mrs. Sinclair mourned sincerely for the loss of a life long friend, and Stella, for a fatherly counsellor.

For hours after the arrival of the cablegram announcing the physician\'s death, Sir Frederic paced the floor of his apartments, pondering deeply on a secret which he felt must be shared by none. He was thinking of Dr. Seward\'s [Pg 219]suspicions as to the parentage of the young man now safely guarded within the ponderous walls of the "Tombs." It had been only a suspicion and now the one human being who knew aught of the matter was silent in the sleep of death.

It was left for him to speak the words which should wound Mrs. Sinclair\'s faithful heart and destroy forever the sacred memory which was a part of her very being.

It was plain to him that the unhappy prisoner knew nothing of his birth and only suspected Dr. Seward of knowledge on the subject through some recollection of old associations. If this was the case there could be no harm in remaining altogether silent on the subject, but then, when this conclusion was reached, he thought of Lady Van Tyne and her probable knowledge and realized how impossible it would be to conceal the identity of her son from his mother when the question of his parentage was raised, as it must be, during his trial by English law.

Whether Dr. Seward had succeeded in obtaining an interview with Lady Van Tyne before his death, Sir Frederic did not know, and although greatly[Pg 220] distressed, he determined to defer the matter as long as possible as Mrs. Sinclair and Stella were happier now than they had been for many days, not only in their freedom from all supposed relationship to the guilty man, but in the anticipation of a new joy that had recently crept mysteriously within their hearts.

Elizabeth\'s sorrow was pitiful to behold, but the winds of grief were tempered with kindness, in the fact of her lawful wifehood and the love of her baby girl she found much happiness and comfort.

It was a pleasure to them all one chilly evening as they gathered about the roaring fire, the butler entered and unceremoniously ushered into their presence the jolly old Commander whose story of Maurice Sinclair\'s death brought them sorrow and rejoicing, and the kindly young officer of the Cunarder whose interest had been the means of so much prosperity to Elizabeth and her child.

"Ha, Ha," laughed the bronzed old Captain as he tossed little Elsa high in the air; "You don\'t look much as you did on the Steamer, little one. I guess you\'ve anchored in a pleasant port, Ay?"

[Pg 221]

"Indeed we have sir," responded Elizabeth, softly, as she gave her hand to him in greeting.

"Well, well," he continued, looking appreciatively at her rounded cheeks. "\'Pon my soul, I never expected to see you looking like this. Here, Mate, look at her red cheeks," he continued gaily, turning to the young officer.

The young man blushed like a girl, for all his manly proportions, as he took Elizabeth\'s timid hand and bent his head modestly as she said, "I have you to thank for my home and happiness, Mr. Moore. You were the first to think of me when I was lying sick in that dreadful place."

"Indeed, Madam," he answered hurriedly, "it was the Chinaman that mentioned the matter to me, you must not forget him."

"That is so, what became of the Ching Chong, Sir Frederic?" asked the Captain as he lowered himself slowly into the massive rocker by Mrs. Sinclair\'s side.

Sir Frederic told him briefly of his last interview with Sam Lee and the capture of the imposter, touching as lightly as possible on the facts of the case in deference to Elizabeth\'s presence, and[Pg 222] both men sat silently and listened with great interest to the recital.

When it was ended the Captain asked anxiously, "Did he give his name or any clue to his identity?&qu............