“‘To-morrow morning, at nine.’

     “After a little more conversation I left her ladyship.  She seemed
     in better spirits than I had seen her for a long time.

“I need not attempt to describe dear Mirpah’s delight when I read over to her the contents of Monsieur H.’s note.  She put her arms round me and kissed me.  ’The five thousand pounds shall yet be yours, papa,’ she said.  Stranger things than that have come to pass before now.  But I am working only for her and James.  Should I ever be so fortunate as to touch the five thousand pounds, one-half of it will go to form a dowry for my Mirpah.  Below is a free translation of the business part of M.H.’s letter, which was simply an extract from some secret ledger kept at the Embassy:—­

“’Platzoff, Paul.  A Russian by birth and a conspirator by choice.  Born in Moscow in 1802, his father being a rich leather-merchant of that city.  Implicated at the age of nineteen in sundry insurrectionary movements; tried, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in a military fortress.  After his release, left Russia without permission, having first secretly transferred his property into foreign securities.  Went to Paris.  Issued a scurrilous pamphlet directed against his Majesty the Emperor.  Spent several years in travel—­now in Europe, now in the East, striving wherever he went to promulgate his revolutionary ideas.  More than suspected of being a member of several secret political societies.  Has resided for the last few years at Bon Repos, on the banks of Windermere, from which place he communicates constantly with other characters as desperate as himself.  Russia has no more bitter and determined enemy than Paul Platzoff.  He is at once clever and unscrupulous.  While he lives he will not cease to conspire.’

     “After this followed a description of Platzoff’s personal
     appearance, which it is needless to transcribe here.

     “I start for Windermere by the first train to-morrow.”

CHAPTER XXIII.

MR. MADGIN’S SECRET JOURNEY.

Mr. Madgin left home by an early train on the morning of the day following that on which Lady Chillington had received a reply from Sir John Pennythorne.  His first intention had been to make the best of his way to Windermere, and there ascertain the exact locality of Bon Repos.  But a fresh view of the case presented itself to his mind as he lay thinking in bed.  Instead of taking the train for the North, he took one for the South, and found himself at Euston as the London clocks were striking twelve.  After an early dinner, and a careful consultation of the Post-Office Directory, Mr. Madgin ordered a hansom, and was driven to Hatton Garden, in and about which unfragrant locality the diamond merchants most do congregate.  After due inquiries made and answered, Mr. Madgin was driven eastward for another mile or more.  Here a similar set of inquiries elicited a similar set of answers.  Mr. Madgin went back to his hotel well pleased with his day’s work.