And as I spoke I plucked the false beard and whiskers from Maxwell's face.
"Maxwell!" cried Jack.
Then the murderer knew that the game was lost.
* * * * * *
That very night, after lodging Maxwell in prison, and laying the information against him, I paid a visit to Ellen Cameron. It was past midnight when I reached her lodgings, but I knew she wouldn't mind that when she heard the news I brought. Luckily the landlady of the house was up, or I should have had some trouble in obtaining admittance; she had a birthday party, and they were merrymaking. I explained to her that I had some wonderfully good news to communicate to her lodger, and she allowed me to go to her rooms. Ellen's voice trembled as she answered my summons at her door, and trembled more when she heard who her visitor was. I called to her not to be frightened, but to dress herself quickly.
"Good news!" I cried. "The best of good news!"
I was soon admitted. What a picture of neatness that room was, and how sweet and pretty Ellen looked, despite the trouble she had gone through! I declare a lump rose in my throat as I looked at her—but there! another man had got her, and he was worthy of her, and she of him.
We spoke low because her boy was asleep in the next room, and as she listened to the story I had to relate, tears of joy ran down her beautiful face.
I finished, and rose to go.
"John is to be brought up to-morrow," I said, "and to-morrow he will be free. Come to my office at half-past nine in the morning, and we will go to the court together. I know you would like to be there to welcome him. That is one of my reasons for coming here at such an hour. Another reason is, that I thought it would be a sin if I lost a single minute in giving you the good news."