Yet, even in face of this check, he stood his ground.

“I may find some means of proving what I have told you,” he said, with unswerving resolution.

Coningsby drained his glass for the third time, and, with a menacing sweep of the hand, seized his riding-whip.

“I don’t advise you to come here with your proofs,” he snarled.  “The only proof I would look at is the woman herself.  Now, sir, I have warned you fairly.  Are you going?”

His attitude was openly threatening, but Carey’s eyes were piercingly upon him, and, in spite of himself, he paused.  So for the passage of seconds they stood; then slowly Carey turned away.

“I am going,” he said, “to find your wife.”

He did not glance again at the picture as he passed from the room.  He could not bring himself to meet the dark eyes that followed him.

V

Yes; he would find her.  But how?  There was only one course open to him, and he shrank from that with disgust unutterable.  It was useless to think of advertising.  He was convinced that she would never answer an advertisement.

The only way to find her was to employ a detective to track her down.  He clenched his hands in impotent revolt.  Not only had it been laid upon him to betray her confidence, but he must follow this up by dragging her from her hiding-place, and returning her to the bitter bondage from which he had once helped her to escape.

That she still lived he was inwardly convinced.  He would have given all he had to have known her dead.

But, for that day, at least, there was no more to be done, and Gwen must not have her birthday spoilt by the knowledge of his failure.  He decided to keep out of her way till the evening.

When he entered the ball-room at the appointed time she pounced upon him eagerly, but her young guests were nearly all assembled, and it was no moment for private conversation.

“Oh, Reggie!  There you are!  How dreadful you look in a mask!  This is my cousin, mademoiselle,” turning to a lady in black who accompanied her.  “I’ve been wanting to introduce him to you.  Don’t forget that the masks are not to come off till midnight.  We’re going to boom the big gong when the clock strikes twelve.”

She flitted away in her shimmering fairy’s dress, closely attended by Charlie Rivers, to persuade his father to give her a dance.  The room was crowded with masked guests, Lady Emberdale, handsome and brilliant, and Admiral Rivers, her bluff but faithful admirer, being the only exceptions to the rule of the evening.

Carey found himself standing apart with Gwen’s particular protegee, and he realised at once that he could expect no help from Charlie in this quarter.  For, though slim and graceful, Mademoiselle Treves’s general appearance was undeniably sombre and elderly.  The hair that she wore coiled regally upon her head was silver-grey, and there was a certain weariness about the mouth that, though it did not rob it of its sweetness, deprived it of all suggestion of youth.