“SHOCKING DISCOVERY!

“The body of a man was found floating in the river close to Limehouse Pier late yesterday evening.  Medical evidence points to death by violence, and the police are making inquiries.  It is thought that the description of the body, which is that of a man of a Jewish type of countenance, rather under than over the middle height, aged between fifty and fifty-five, gray hair and short, gray beard, tallies with that given a few days ago by a woman who applied at the ——­ Street Police Court, alleging that her husband had disappeared in the above neighborhood.  The police are extremely reticent, but at the present they have no clue to the authors of the outrage.  The body awaits identification at the mortuary, and an inquest will be held to-day.”

“I wonder whether Dudley will see that?” said Mr. Wedmore, in a low voice, as soon as his daughters were engaged in talk together.  “It looks like the sequel to the other paragraph which upset him so the other evening, doesn’t it?  I shall watch the papers for the result of the inquest.  It seems to me pretty certain that it was Edward Jacobs.  Curious affair, isn’t it, that he should be murdered in a slum, after making a fortune at other people’s expense?  Retribution—­just retribution!  Curious, isn’t it!”

To Max it was so much more than merely “curious,” knowing what he did, that he felt sick with horror.  Surely this body, found floating near Limehouse Pier, was the one he had touched in the dark!

CHAPTER XIV.

IS IT BLACKMAIL?

Mr. Wedmore repeated his comment:  “Curious, isn’t it?” before Max could reply.  At last he nodded, and handed back the paper to his father.  Then he turned his chair toward the fire, and stared at the blazing coals.  He had lost his appetite; he felt cold, miserable.

His father could not help noticing that something was wrong with him; and, after watching him furtively for a few minutes, he said, with an abruptness which made Max start: 

“Did you see anything of Dudley when you were in town?”

Max changed color, and glanced apprehensively at his father, as if fearing some suspicion in the unexpected question.

“No, sir,” he answered, after a moment’s hesitation.  “I called at his chambers; but they told me he had gone away for the holidays and had left no address.  All letters were to be kept for him till his return.”

Both question and answer had been uttered very softly, but Max saw, by the look on Doreen’s face, as she glanced over from the other side of the table, that she guessed what they were talking about, if she had not heard their words.

“Aren’t you going to have any breakfast, Max?” asked she, as she came round to him.  “We’ve kept everything about for you, and we want the table.”

“Well, you can have it,” said he, jumping up, quickly, and making for the door.  “I don’t want any breakfast this morning.”