ggested.

Field had no objection to make, and together the two descended to the
hall. A little, apple-faced, shrivelled-looking man was waiting for
them. There was no reason to ask his occupation--London cabman was
written all over him in large letters.

"I can't tell you much, sir," he said. "It was just past two when I
heard the whistle here. I was waiting with my cab at the corner of
Shepherd Street. It's out of my line a bit, but I pulled up there in the
hopes of getting a return fare. When I heard the whistle I came up with
my cab, but I was just a shade too late. There was another cab before
me, a black cab with a black horse, a rather swell affair. The driver
was wearing a fur coat and a very shiny top hat. We had a few words, but
the hotel porter told me to be off, and I went back to the stand where I
stayed till just daylight. Nobody else left the hotel in a cab."

"This is important," Field muttered. "By the way, would you recognize
the hall porter again? You would! Then come this way and we will see if
you can."

But the cabman was quite sure that the damaged man lying on the bed at
the top of the hotel was not the same one who had ordered him away a few
hours before. He was quite sure because the lights in the hotel portico
were still full on, and he had seen the hall porter's face quite
distinctly.

"A regular plant," Field exclaimed. "A clever thing indeed. Was the
black cab empty when it came up, or was there anybody inside it?"

"Somebody was inside it," was the prompt reply. "A pale gentleman, very
lame he was. He tried to get out of the cab but the driver pushed him
back, and he and the hall porter hoisted the big trunk on top of the
cab. And that's all, sir."

Berrington listened intently. He was struggling with some confused
memory in which the grey lady and Stephen Richford were all mixed up
together. Suddenly the flash of illumination came. He smote his hand on
his knee.

"I've got it," he cried. "I've got it. The lame man of No. 100 Audley
Place!"

CHAPTER XIII

Berrington's exclamation of surprise was not lost upon Inspector Field.
He stood obviously waiting for the gallant officer to say something. As
there was a somewhat long pause, the inspector took up the parable for
himself.

"In a great many cases that come under our hands, so many give us a
chance," he said. "We allow something for luck. More than once in
looking up one business I have come across a burning clue of