"  You  know  Oswin  Grace "? "  inquired
Miss  Winter.
*'  Oh  yes,"  was  the  cool  reply,  "  Tyars
brought  him  to  my  rooms  one  evening."


CARTE  AND   TIERCE.  249

Miss  Winter  skilfully  concealed  her
eagerness.
"  Tliey  are  great  friends,"  she  said,
lightly.
"  Ye — es.  Yes.  Tyars  constantly  talks
of  him."

"  I  suppose,"  continued  Miss  Winter,  in
the  same  indifferently  conversational  way,
"  that  they  have  many  interests  in  common ;
both  being  sailors.  At  least,  I  believe
Claud  Tyars  considers  himself  a  sailor
now."

This  was  clever,  and  the  wary  little  man
paused.  He  felt  convinced  that  Miss
Winter  knew  less  of  the  past  life  of  Tyars
than  she  would  have  him  believe.  More-
over, he  suspected  that  she  had  never
hitherto  called  him  Claud  Tj^ars.  The  im-
plied familiarity  was  a  trap,  womanly,
clever,  and  subtle  ;  but  Easton  avoided  it
with  equal  skill.     He  maintained  an   easy


250         PRISONERS   AND   CAPTIVES.
silence.  Immediately  afterwards,  however,
lie  made  a  blunder.
"  Oswin."  said  Miss  AVinter,  "  is  a  great
friend  of  mine,  and  I  think  Helen  is  my
greatest  friend."

"  A  sister  ?  "  inquired  Easton,  rashly.
"  Yes.  Mr.  Tyars  has  not  spoken  of  her
then  ? "

"  No.  Tyars  did  not  tell  me  that  Grace
had  a  sister."

There  was  a  short  pause.  Perhaps  the
American  heard  the  little  sigh  of  relief
given  by  his  companion,  marking,  as  it
were,  the  relaxation  of  an  effort.  Such  a
sigh  as  an  athlete  gives  when  he  has  scored
a  success  and  his  weary  muscles  fall  into
repose.  He  became  instantly  conscious  of
his  blunder.  He  had  been  outwitted  by
this  pleasant  woman.  He — Matthew  Mark
Easton — a  born  intriguer,  a  man  with  real
genius  for  conspiracy.
