The door of the sitting-room was thrown open violently; the courier's wife rushed in like a mad woman.

'He's dead! They've murdered him!' Those wild words were all she could say.

She dropped on her knees at the foot of the sofa--held out her hand with something clasped in it--and fell back in a swoon.
The nurse, signing to Agnes to open the window, took the necessary measures to restore the fainting woman.

'What's this ?' she exclaimed.
'Here's a letter in her hand.

See what it is, Miss.' The open envelope was addressed (evidently in a feigned hand-writing) to 'Mrs.Ferrari.' The post-mark was 'Venice.' The contents of the envelope were a sheet of foreign note-paper, and a folded enclosure.
On the note-paper, one line only was written.