had sought me at Rowan Road came forward to meet my bride, and at once accompanied her upstairs, while we entered the dining-room. The two witnesses, who had followed in the second carriage, quickly joined us. The butler Davies opened champagne, and my health, with that of the bride, was drunk in solemn silence. The man with the monocle was absent. Truly my nuptial feast was a strange one.

A few minutes later, however, I was again alone in the library with the Tempter, whose eyes had grown brighter, and whose face had assumed an even more demoniacal expression. The door was closed, the silence unbroken.

"So far all has been perfectly satisfactory," he said, halting upon the hearthrug suddenly and facing me. "There is, however, still one condition to be fulfilled, before I place the money in your hands."

"And what is that?" I inquired.

"That your wife must die before sunset," he answered, in a hoarse, earnest whisper. "She must die--you understand! It is now half-past twelve."

"What?" I cried, starting forward. "You would bribe me to murder your own daughter?"

He shrugged his thin shoulders, made an impatient movement, his small eyes glittered, and in a cold hard voice, he exclaimed--"I said that it is imperative she should die before the money is yours--that is all.""Ah, my dear sir, that is not possible. Remember you are my daughter's husband."
"And yet you ask me to kill her."
"Who has greater right to curtail her sufferings than her husband?"
"And who has greater right to endeavour to save her life?"
"But you cannot. It is impossible."
"Why impossible?"
"She is doomed."
"By you. You have resolved that she shall not live till morning," I said, adding: "If, as you tell me, her mysterious illness must prove fatal, I see no reason why you should offer me a bribe to encompass her death. Surely a few hours more or less are of no consequence."
"But they are," he protested quickly. "She must die before sundown, I tell you."
"Not if I can prevent it."
"Then you will forgo the money I have offered you," he inquired seriously.
"I have no intention of touching a single farthing of it."
"Until you are forced to."
"Forced to!" I exclaimed. "I don't understand your meaning."
"You will understand one day," he answered with a grin--"one day when it may, perhaps, be too late. It would be best for us to act in unison, I assure you."
"For you, possibly; not for me."
"No--for you," he said, fixing his crafty, evil-looking eyes upon me. "You have taken one step towards the goal, and you 

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