And she would have rushed forth to execute her design if Careless had not prevented her.
"I cannot allow you to stir, Mary," he said, detaining her.
She besought him to let her go, but he refused. Just then, footsteps were heard in the passage.
"Ah, he is here!" she exclaimed.
Next moment Urso Gives entered the room, and started on beholding his wife and Careless together. By an instant and rapid retreat he might, perhaps, have escaped, for the way was then clear, but yielding to a sudden impulse of jealous fury, he drew a pistol and fired.
His aim was Careless, but the shot took effect on his wife, who was slightly wounded in the arm. Uttering a scream, she would have fallen if Careless had not caught her and placed her in a chair.
The report of the pistol brought Captain Woolfe and Kilvert into the room, and in another moment the guard rushed in from the street. Urso, who attempted no resistance, was seized and secured.
"Is this the man you seek, Major Careless?" asked Captain Woolfe.
"Ay, this is the accursed traitor," was the reply. "And now he would have added murder to his other crimes."
"I should be satisfied if I had slain thee," rejoined Urso, fiercely. "I have wrongs enough to avenge."