She went out, shutting the door carefully between her and the colonel, and looking round about the vast old hall.
There stood John, still hanging up the hat, cane, and coat of the visitor.
"Carry this light up to the third hall," said Margaret, pointing to a lamp in a bracket.
He took the lamp and ascended out of view. What a transformation came over the girl's countenance then.
Her eyes lit up with triumph—she sprang to the overcoat and thrust her eager hand into the breast-pocket.
She was right. The book she had seen him reading was the green morocco note-book he had referred to when she had tried to trip him in his knowledge of St. Udo Brand's letter to her—and she had it in her hand now.
She drew it forth, and fled like a phantom to her room, just as Colonel
Brand, recalling his blunder, started up and hurried to remove the damning evidence of his own imposture.