“I tell you—­he—­is—­found,” the patron of letters shouted emphatically.

“What is this!” exclaimed Renouard in a choked voice.  Miss Moorsom seized his wrist suddenly, and at that contact fire ran through all his veins, a hot stillness descended upon him in which he heard the blood—­or the fire—­beating in his ears.  He made a movement as if to rise, but was restrained by the convulsive pressure on his wrist.

“No, no.”  Miss Moorsom’s eyes stared black as night, searching the space before her.  Far away the Editor strutted forward, Willie following with his ostentatious manner of carrying his bulky and oppressive carcass which, however, did not remain exactly perpendicular for two seconds together.

“The innocent Arthur . . .  Yes.  We’ve got him,” the Editor became very business-like.  “Yes, this letter has done it.”

He plunged into an inside pocket for it, slapped the scrap of paper with his open palm.  “From that old woman.  William had it in his pocket since this morning when Miss Moorsom gave it to him to show me.  Forgot all about it till an hour ago.  Thought it was of no importance.  Well, no!  Not till it was properly read.”

Renouard and Miss Moorsom emerged from the shadows side by side, a well-matched couple, animated yet statuesque in their calmness and in their pallor.  She had let go his wrist.  On catching sight of Renouard the Editor exclaimed: 

“What—­you here!” in a quite shrill voice.

There came a dead pause.  All the faces had in them something dismayed and cruel.

“He’s the very man we want,” continued the Editor.  “Excuse my excitement.  You are the very man, Renouard.  Didn’t you tell me that your assistant called himself Walter?  Yes?  Thought so.  But here’s that old woman—­the butler’s wife—­listen to this.  She writes:  All I can tell you, Miss, is that my poor husband directed his letters to the name of H. Walter.”

Renouard’s violent but repressed exclamation was lost in a general murmur and shuffle of feet.  The Editor made a step forward, bowed with creditable steadiness.

“Miss Moorsom, allow me to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on the happy—­er—­issue. . . "

“Wait,” muttered Renouard irresolutely.

The Editor jumped on him in the manner of their old friendship.  “Ah, you!  You are a fine fellow too.  With your solitary ways of life you will end by having no more discrimination than a savage.  Fancy living with a gentleman for months and never guessing.  A man, I am certain, accomplished, remarkable, out of the common, since he had been distinguished” (he bowed again) “by Miss Moorsom, whom we all admire.”

She turned her back on him.

“I hope to goodness you haven’t been leading him a dog’s life, Geoffrey,” the Editor addressed his friend in a whispered aside.