The Shadow of the Rope. E. W. Hornung

for having left it to her to save herself in spite of them all: so should her perfect innocence be impressed upon the whole country as on those twelve fair minds. And once more she pored upon the hurriedly added and ill-printed line which gave their verdict to the world, while the train stopped and started, only to stop and start again.

      "And what do you think of it, madam?"

      The voice came from the opposite corner of the compartment, and Rachel knew it for that of the gentleman who had jumped in at the last moment at Blackfriars Bridge. It was Charing Cross that they were leaving now, and the door had not opened at that station or the last. Rachel sat breathless behind her evening paper. Not to answer might be to fasten suspicion upon her widow's weeds; and, for all her right to look mankind in the face, she shrank instinctively from immediate recognition. Then in a clap came the temptation to discuss her own case with the owner of a voice at once confident and courtly, and subtly reminiscent of her native colony, where it is no affront for stranger to speak to stranger without introduction or excuse.

      Rachel's hesitation lasted perhaps a couple of seconds, and then her paper lay across her lap.

      "Of what?" she asked, with some presence of mind, for she had never an instant's doubt that the question referred to the topic of the hour.

      "We were reading the same paper," replied the questioner, with perfect courtesy; "it only struck me that we might both be reading the same thing, and feeling equally amazed at the verdict."

      "You mean in the Minchin case," said Rachel steadily, and without the least interrogation in her tone. "Yes, I was reading it, as I suppose everybody is. But I disagree with you about the verdict."

      The young widow's manner was as downright as her words. There was a sudden raising of the bushy eyebrows in the opposite corner, a brief opening of the black eyes underneath.

      "Pardon me," said the gentleman, breaking into a smile; "I was not aware that I had expressed an opinion on that point."

      "I understood you were amazed," said Rachel, dryly.

      "And are not you?" cried the other point-blank. "Do you mean to tell me that you were prepared for an acquittal?"

      "I was prepared for anything," replied Rachel, returning a peculiarly penetrating stare with one at least as steady, and yet holding her breath for very fear lest this stranger had found her out, until his next words allayed the suspicion.

      "Madam, have you followed the case?"

      "Indeed I have," sighed honest Rachel.

      "And as a woman you believe this woman innocent?"

      "I do."

      It was hard enough to say no more than that; but Rachel was very fresh from her great lesson in self-control.

      "It is easy to see that you do not," she merely permitted herself to add.

      "On the contrary," said he, with great precision; "on the contrary, my dear madam, I believe this poor lady to be as innocent as yourself."

      Again their eyes were locked; again Rachel drew the only inference from so pointed a pronouncement, and yet again was the impression shaken by her companion's next words.