mparted a laugh
into it. But Beatrice was not to be drawn any further. She felt
absolutely certain of the fact that she was talking to the real culprit
who was picking her brain so that he could get to the bottom of what the
police had discovered, with an eye to the future.

"Really, I don't know," the girl said coldly. "That is all that I
overheard. The police I find are very close over these matters, and in
any case they do not usually choose a woman as their confidant. You had
better ask Colonel Berrington."

It was an unfortunate remark in more senses than one. Beatrice did not
quite realize how quick and clever was the man to whom she was talking.
If his instinct had told him much his cleverness told him more.
Berrington was in the confidence of the police. And Sartoris had
imagined that the soldier was working out the problem on his own behalf.
He had counted, too, on Berrington's affection for Mary to do as little
harm as possible.

"I'll ask the Colonel," he said between his teeth. "Oh, yes, I will
certainly do that. What are you looking at so closely?"

Beatrice had risen to her feet in her eagerness. She pointed to two
cabinet photographs.

"Those people," she stammered. "Why, I know them. They call themselves
Countess de la Moray and General Gastang. They were staying at the
_Royal Palace Hotel_ the night of the tragedy. They pretended to know me
and all about me. I am quite sure that they are actors in disguise. But
seeing that you know them----"

Sartoris turned away his face for a moment, so that Beatrice should not
see its evil expression. He cursed himself for his inane folly. But he
was quick to rise to the situation.

"A very strange thing," he said. "As a matter of fact, I don't know
those people. But some friends of mine in Paris were their victims some
little time ago, and they were anxious that the police here should be
warned, as the precious pair had fled to England. Perhaps they were
proud of this guise, perhaps their vanity impelled them, but they had
those photographs taken and my friends got copies and sent them to me.
They only arrived to-day or they would not be here. They will go to
Scotland Yard in the morning."

Beatrice inclined her head coldly. She knew the whole thing was a quick
and ready lie, and she could not for the life of her pretend to believe
it. She buttoned her jacket about her and stood up.

"I will not detain you any longer," she said. "If I can find what you
d