“’Mabel，cometomeatoncewiththebearer。Theytellmethattheycannottakemehome。’Itlookslikemyownwriting。“
　　“Lookslikeit！ItISyourwriting。“
　　“Itlookslikeit——andwrittenwithashakypen。“
　　“Mydearchild，one’shandwouldshakeatsuchamomentasthat。“
　　“Mabel，wheredidyougetthis？“
　　“ItwasbroughttomeinCaneandWilson’s。“
　　“Whobroughtit？“
　　“Whobroughtit？Why，themanyousent。“
　　“ThemanIsent！“Alightburstupontheduke’sbrain。Hefellbackapace。“It’sthedecoy！“
　　Hergraceechoedthewords:
　　“Thedecoy？“
　　“Thescoundrel！Tosetatrapwithsuchabait！Mypoorinnocentdarling，didyouthinkitcamefromme？Tellme，Mabel，wheredidhecutoffyourhair？“
　　“Cutoffmyhair？“
　　Hergraceputherhandtoherheadasiftomakesurethatherhairwasthere。
　　“Wheredidhetakeyouto？“
　　“HetookmetoDraper’sBuildings。“
　　“Draper’sBuildings？“
　　“IhaveneverbeenintheCitybefore，buthetoldmeitwasDraper’sBuildings。Isn’tthatneartheStockExchange？“
　　“NeartheStockExchange？“
　　Itseemedratheracuriousplacetowhichtotakeakidnapedvictim。Theman’saudacity！
　　“HetoldmethatyouwerecomingoutoftheStockExchangewhenavanknockedyouover。HesaidthathethoughtitwasaPickford’svan——wasitaPickford’svan？“
　　“No，itwasnotaPickford’svan。Mabel，wereyouinDraper’sBuildingswhenyouwrotethatletter？“
　　“Wrotewhatletter？“
　　“Haveyouforgottenitalready？IdonotbelievethatthereisawordinitwhichwillnotbebrandedonmybrainuntilIdie。“
　　“Hereward！Whatdoyoumean？“
　　“Surelyyoucannothavewrittenmesuchaletterasthat，andthenhaveforgottenitalready？“
　　Hehandedhertheletterwhichhadarrivedinthesecondcommunication。Sheglancedatit，askance。Thenshetookitwithalittlegasp。
　　“Hereward，ifyoudon’tmind，IthinkI’lltakeachair。“Shetookachair。“Whatever——whatever’sthis？“Asshereadtheletterthevaryingexpressionswhichpassedacrossherfacewere，inthemselves，astudyinpsychology。“Isitpossiblethatyoucanimaginethat，underanyconceivablecircumstances，Icouldhavewrittensuchaletterasthis？“
　　“Mabel！“
　　Sherosetoherfeetwithemphasis。
　　“Hereward，don’tsaythatyouthoughtthiscamefromme！“
　　“Notfromyou？“HerememberedKnowles’sdiplomaticreceptionoftheepistleonitsfirstappearance。“Isupposethatyouwillsaynextthatthisisnotalockofyourhair？“
　　“Mydearchild，whatbeehaveyougotinyourbonnet？Thisalockofmyhair！Why，it’snotintheleastbitlikemyhair！“
　　Whichwascertainlyinaccurate。Asfarascolorwasconcerneditwasanalmostperfectmatch。TheduketurnedtoMr。Dacre。
　　“Ivor，I’vehadtogothroughagooddealthisafternoon。IfI
　　havetogothroughmuchmore，somethingwillcrack！“Hetouchedhisforehead。“Ithinkit’smyturntotakeachair。“Nottheonewhichtheduchesshadvacated，butonewhichfacedit。Hestretchedouthislegsinfrontofhim；hethrusthishandsintohistrouserspockets；hesaid，inatonewhichwasnotgloomybutabsolutelygrewsome:
　　“MightIask，Mabel，ifyouhavebeenkidnaped？“
　　“Kidnaped？“
　　“ThewordIusedwas’kidnaped。’ButIwillspellitifyoulike。
　　OrIwillgetadictionary，thatyoumayseeitsmeaning。“
　　Theduchesslookedasifshewasbeginningtobenotquitesureifshewasawakeorsleeping。SheturnedtoIvor。
　　“Mr。Dacre，hastheaccidentaffectedHereward’sbrain？“
　　Theduketookthewordsoutofhiscousin’smouth。
　　“Onthatpoint，mydear，letmeeaseyourmind。Idon’tknowifyouareundertheimpressionthatIshouldbethesameshapeafteraPickford’svanhadrunovermeasIwasbefore；but，inanycase，IhavenotbeenrunoverbyaPickford’svan。SofarasIamconcernedtherehasbeennoaccident。Dismissthatdelusionfromyourmind。“
　　“Oh！“
　　“Youappearsurprised。Onemighteventhinkthatyouweresorry。
　　ButmayInowaskwhatyoudidwhenyouarrivedatDraper’sBuildings？“
　　“Did！Ilookedforyou！“
　　“Indeed！Andwhenyouhadlookedinvain，whatwasthenextiteminyourprogramme？“
　　Theladyshrankstillfartherfromhim。
　　“Hereward，haveyoubeenhavingajestatmyexpense？Canyouhavebeensocruel？“Tearsstoodinhereyes。
　　Rising，thedukelaidhishanduponherarm。
　　“Mabel，tellme——whatdidyoudowhenyouhadlookedformeinvain？“
　　“Ilookedforyouupstairsanddownstairsandeverywhere。Itwasquitealargeplace，ittookmeeversuchatime。IthoughtthatI
　　shouldgodistracted。Nobodyseemedtoknowanythingaboutyou，oreventhattherehadbeenanaccidentatall——itwasalloffices。I
　　couldn’tmakeitoutintheleast，andthepeopledidn’tseemtobeabletomakemeouteither。SowhenIcouldn’tfindyouanywhereI
　　camestraighthomeagain。“
　　Thedukewassilentforamoment。ThenwithfunerealgravityheturnedtoMr。Dacre。Heputtohimthisquestion:
　　“Ivor，whatareyoulaughingat？“
　　Mr。Dacredrewhishandacrosshismouthwithratherasuspiciousgesture。
　　“Mydearfellow，onlyasmile！“
　　Theduchesslookedfromonetotheother。
　　“Whathaveyoutwobeendoing？Whatisthejoke？“
　　Withanairofpreternaturalsolemnitytheduketooktwolettersfromthebreastpocketofhiscoat。
　　“Mabel，youhavealreadyseenyourletter。Youhavealreadyseenthelockofyourhair。Justlookatthis——andthat。“
　　Hegaveherthetwoverysingularcommunicationswhichhadarrivedinsuchamysteriousmanner，andsoquicklyoneaftertheother。
　　Shereadthemwithwide-openeyes。
　　“Hereward！Whereverdidthesecomefrom？“
　　Thedukewasstandingwithhislegsapart，andhishandsinhistrouserspockets。“Iwouldgive——Iwouldgiveanotherfivehundredpoundstoknow。ShallItellyou，madam，whatIhavebeendoing？
　　Ihavebeenpresentingfivehundredgoldensovereignstoaperfectstranger，withatophat，andagardeniainhisbuttonhole。“
　　“Whateverfor？“
　　“Ifyouhaveperusedthosedocumentswhichyouhaveinyourhand，youwillhavesomefaintidea。Ivor，whenit’syourfuneral，I’LL
　　smile。Mabel，DuchessofDatchet，itisbeginningtodawnuponthevacuumwhichrepresentsmybrainthatI’vebeenthevictimofoneoftheprettiestthingsinpracticaljokesthateveryetwasplanned。WhenthatfellowbroughtyouthatcardatCaneandWilson’s——which，Ineedscarcelytellyou，nevercamefromme——someonewalkedoutofthefrontentrancewhowassoexactlylikeyouthatbothBarnesandMoyseytookherforyou。Moyseyshowedherintothecarriage，andBarnesdroveherhome。Butwhenthecarriagereachedhomeitwasempty。Yourdoublehadgotoutupontheroad。“
　　Theduchessutteredasoundwhichwashalfgasp，halfsigh。
　　“Hereward！“
　　“BarnesandMoysey，withbeautifulandchildlikeinnocence，whentheyfoundthattheyhadbroughtthethinghomeempty，camestraightwayandtoldmethatYOUhadjumpedoutofthebroughamwhileithadbeendrivingfullpeltthroughthestreets。WhileI
　　wasdigestingthatpieceofinformationtherecamethefirstepistle，withthelockofyourhair。BeforeIhadtimetodigestthattherecamethesecondepistle，withyoursinside。“
　　“Itseemsincredible！“
　　“Itsoundsincredible；butunfathomableisthefollyofman，especiallyofamanwholoveshiswife。“ThedukecrossedtoMr。
　　Dacre。“Idon’twant，Ivor，tosuggestanythinginthewayofbriberyandcorruption，butifyoucouldkeepthismattertoyourself，andnotmentionittoyourfriends，ourwhite-hattedandgardenia-buttonholedacquaintanceiswelcometohisfivehundredpounds，and——Mabel，whatonearthareyoulaughingat？“
　　Theduchessappeared，allatonce，tobeseizedwithinextinguishablelaughter。
　　“Hereward，“shecried，“justthinkhowthatmanmustbelaughingatyou！“
　　AndtheDukeofDatchetthoughtofit。
　　TheMinorCanonItwasMonday，andintheafternoon，asIwaswalkingalongtheHighStreetofMarchbury，Iwasmetbyadistinguished-lookingpersonwhomIhadobservedattheservicesinthecathedralonthepreviousday。NowitchancedonthatSundaythatIwassingingtheservice。Properlyspeaking，itwasnotmyturn；but，asmybrotherminorcanonswereeitherawayfromMarchburyorillinbed，Iwastheonlyonelefttoperformthenecessaryduty。Thedistinguished-lookingpersonwasatall，bigmanwitharoundfatfaceandsmallfeatures。Hiseyes，hishairandmustachehisfacewasbarebutforasmallmustachewerequiteblack，andhehadaverypleasantandgenialexpression。Heworeatallhat，setratherjauntilyonhishead，andhewasdressedinblackwithalongfrockcoatbuttonedacrossthechestandfittinghimclosetothebody。Ashecame，withahalfsaunter，halfswagger，alongthestreet，Iknewhimagainatoncebyhisappearance；and，ashecamenearer，Isawfromhismannerthathewasintendingtostopandspeaktome，forheslightlyraisedhishatandinasoft，melodiousvoicewithacolonial“twang“whichwasfarfrombeingdisagreeable，andwhich，indeed，tomyeargaveacertainadditionalinteresttohisremarks，hesalutedmewith“Goodday，sir！“
　　“Goodday，“Ianswered，withjustalittlereserveinmytone。
　　“Ihope，sir，“hebegan，“youwillexcusemystoppingyouinthestreet，butIwishtotellyouhowverymuchIenjoyedthemusicatyourcathedralyesterday。IamanAustralian，sir，andwehavenosuchmusicinmycountry。“
　　“Isupposenot，“Isaid。
　　“No，sir，“hewenton，“nothingnearlysofine。Iamveryfondofmusic，andasmybusinessbroughtmeinthisdirection，IthoughtI
　　wouldstopatyourcityandtaketheopportunityofpayingavisittoyourgrandcathedral。AndIamdelightedIcame；sopleased，indeed，thatIshouldliketoleavesomememorialofmyvisitbehindme。Ishouldlike，sir，todosomethingforyourchoir。“
　　“Iamsureitisverykindofyou，“Ireplied。
　　“Yes，IshouldcertainlybegladifyoucouldsuggesttomesomethingImightdointhisway。Asregardsmoney，ImaysaythatIhaveplentyofit。Iamtheownerofamostvaluableproperty。
　　Mybusinessrelationsextendthroughouttheworld，andifIamasfortunateintheprojectsofthefutureasIhavebeeninthepast，Ishallprobablyonedayachievetheproudpositionofbeingtherichestmanintheworld。“
　　Ididnotliketoundertakemyselftheresponsibilityofadvisingorsuggesting，soIsimplysaid:
　　“Icannotventuretosay，offhand，whatwouldbethemostacceptablewayofshowingyourgreatkindnessandgenerosity，butI
　　shouldcertainlyrecommendyoutoputyourselfincommunicationwiththedean。“
　　“Thankyou，sir，“saidmyAustralianfriend，“Iwilldoso。Andnow，sir，“hecontinued，“letmesayhowmuchIadmireyourvoice。
　　Itis，withoutexception，theveryfinestandclearestvoiceIhaveeverheard。“
　　“Really，“Ianswered，quiteovercomewithsuchunqualifiedpraise，“reallyitisverygoodofyoutosayso。“
　　“Ah，butIfeelit，mydearsir。Ihavebeenroundtheworld，fromSydneytoFrisco，acrossthecontinentofAmerica“hecalleditAmerrker“toNewYorkCity，thenontoEngland，andto-morrowI
　　shallleaveyourcitytocontinuemytravels。ButinallmyexperienceIhaveneverheardsograndavoiceasyourown。“
　　Thisandagreatdealmorehesaidinthesamestrain，whichmodestyforbidsmetoreproduce。