Chapter XVIII,

Otago Witness, Issue 1031, 2 September 1871, Page 18

Chapter XVIII,

" What is Lady May talking about ?" «aid Uncle David to Alice after a timo. "Yes— l thought so— that horrid murder at the 'Saloon Tavern.' For so goodnatured a person, she has tho most bloodthirsty tastes I know of ; shea always deep in some horror. "

" My nrother Dick told me that Mr. Longcluse made a speech there."

" Yes, so I heavd ; and J think he said what is true enough. London ia growing more and more insecure ; and that certainly was a moßt audacious murder. People make money ft little faster, that is true ; but what ia the good of money, if their lives are not their own ? It is quite true that their are streets in London, which I remember aa safe as this room, through which no one inspected of having five pounds in his pocket could now wallc without a likelihood of being gar-

roted."

" How dreadful '" said Alice, and Undo David laughed a little at her horror.

" That murder in the city that you were speaking of just now to Lady May is a serious business for men who walk the streets, as I do sometimes, with money in their pockets," said David Arden, after the ladies had left tho room, addressing Mr. Longchi3e.

"Ho it struck me — one feels that instinctively. When I saw that poor little good-natured fellow doad, and thought how easily I mi^ht have walked in there myself, with the assassin behind me, it aeemed to me simply the turn of a die that the lot had not fallen upon me," said Longcluse.

"He waa robbed, too, wasn't he?" croaked Sir Reginald, who was growing tired ; and with his fatigue came evidences of his temper.

" Oh, yes," said David ; "nothing left in hi 3 pockets."

" But is it so certain that the man was robbed ?" said Vivian Darnley.

" Everything he had about him waa taken," said Mr Lonrcluse,

" But they pretend to rob men sometimes, when they murder them, only to conceal the real motive," persisted Vivian Darnley.

"Yes, that's quite true; but then there must be aonUi motive," said Mr Limgcluße, with something a little supercilious in hie smile : " and it isn't easy to conceive a motive for murdering a poor little good-natured letter of lodgings, a person past the time of life when jealousy could have anything to do with it, and a most inoffensive and civil creature. I confess, if I were obliged to seek a motive other than the obvious one, for the crime, I should be utterly puzzled."

" I saw in the newspapers," said David Ardon, " some evidence of yours, Mr Longcluse, which seemed rather to indicate a particular man aa the murderer."

" I have my eye upon him," Baid Longcluse. "There are suspicious circumBtauces. The case in a little time may begin to clear ; at present the police are only groping."

" That's satisfactory ; and those fellows are paid so handsomely for groping," Baid Sir Reginald, opening his eyes suddenly. " Take a little claret, Mr Longcluse, and send it on." "No more, thanks." And all the guests being of the same mind, they marched up the broad stairs to the ladies.