CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.[ A VIGIL ]1
CHAPTER II.[ LUDLOW STREET JAIL ]22
CHAPTER III.[ "FATHOM HER MOTIVES, PHILIP" ]33
CHAPTER IV.[ MIXED MOTIVES ]54
CHAPTER V.[ A WOMAN'S LOGIC ]74
CHAPTER VI.[ A QUESTION OF COMITY ]86
CHAPTER VII.[ NON-COMMITTAL ]104
CHAPTER VIII.[ A DAMAGING PROMISE ]117
CHAPTER IX.[ CONFLICTING IDENTITIES ]134
CHAPTER X.[ A GLEAM OF LIGHT ]153
CHAPTER XI.[ CHECKMATE ]169
CHAPTER XII.[ OUR LADY OF KAZAN ]183
CHAPTER XIII.[ NO EXPLANATION ]205
CHAPTER XIV.[ "FORGIVE HER" ]218
CHAPTER XV.[ VLADIMIR'S WELCOME ]233
CHAPTER XVI.[ AN ETERNAL FAREWELL ]251
CHAPTER XVII.[ AFTER TEN YEARS ]268

MISS HILDRETH.


CHAPTER I.

A VIGIL.

The news of Patricia Hildreth's arrest on a criminal warrant had flown like wild-fire throughout society. Mr. Tremain found himself almost the only one of his world not cognisant of the facts from the beginning; and as he listened to one garbled statement after another, coloured according to the narrator's fancy, he cursed the evil fortune and his own selfishness, that had kept him so effectually out of the way, and made him play so blindly into the enemies' hands.

He knew very well that had he been at home, or allowed his letters and papers to be forwarded to him, matters would never have reached so serious a pass; but shutting himself away as he had done from all outside communication, there had been no one at hand to avert the blow as it fell, or to force a more definite showing from the attacking parties, before the extreme measure of arrest was put into execution.