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"'Dearest do not be frightened. All will come well. There is a

huge error which it may take some little time to rectify. Wait in

patience.-NEVILLE.' Written in pencil upon the fly-leaf of a

book, octavo size, no water-mark. Hum! Posted to-day in Gravesend

by a man with a dirty thumb. Ha! And the flap has been gummed, if

I am not very much in error, by a person who had been chewing

tobacco. And you have no doubt that it is your husband's hand,

madam?"

"None. Neville wrote those words."

"And they were posted to-day at Gravesend. Well, Mrs. St. Clair,

the clouds lighten, though I should not venture to say that the

danger is over."

"But he must be alive, Mr. Holmes."

"Unless this is a clever forgery to put us on the wrong scent.

The ring, after all, proves nothing. It may have been taken from

him."

"No, no; it is, it is his very own writing!"

"Very well. It may, however, have been written on Monday and only

posted to-day."

"That is possible."

"If so, much may have happened between."