"One night they went to the theater," continued the detective, "and there they saw upon the stage the beautiful lady that is now your wife."
"Ah!" exclaimed Captain Ernscliffe, with a start.
"Yes, sir; you begin to get an inkling of things now," said Kidder. "Well, to go on, Jennie Thorn recognized the lady. She had seen her before, and knew that the man who had wronged her was an enemy of Madame De Lisle. She knew that they hated each other, and that he had sworn to take a terrible revenge upon her. Well, sir, in that minute Jennie Thorn began to see what would be her own best chance to find her betrayer again."
Captain Ernscliffe was growing too excited to keep his seat. He rose and paced up and down the room, his arms folded over his broad breast, his burning gaze fixed on the detective's shrewd, intelligent face.
"She knew that the man would follow Madame De Lisle like her evil genius, and she determined to keep near the beautiful actress. The next day she disguised herself as an elderly woman, changed her name, and went into your wife's service as her maid."
Captain Ernscliffe gazed at him silently. He began to comprehend now.
"There's little more to tell, sir. Jennie left her mother in the United States and followed Madame De Lisle across the ocean.
"At first the actress had an old couple of actors with her—the same that adopted her and taught her their profession—but they both died.
"The old man sickened first and died, and his wife soon followed him to the grave.
"Then the actress grew attached to Jennie, and would not have parted with her for anything.