y said that they would send round to Edward Street
without delay."

"Of course you stayed to see that they had done so?"

"Of course, sir. It isn't a very far cry to Edward Street, so I waited.
I asked the inspector in charge to telephone me directly the raid had
been made."

"Oh, get on, man," Field cried impatiently. "You're not in the witness
box now grinding it out so that the magistrate's clerk can take it all
down in long hand. What I want to know is whether or not the raid was
effective."

"To a certain extent, sir. They took the housekeeper, who doesn't appear
to have had much to do with the matter, and an old gentleman who looked
like a clergyman. So far, there was nobody else in the house."

Field gave vent to something that sounded like a grunt of satisfaction.
Mary said nothing, but she had a pretty shrewd idea who the clergyman
was. Field seemed to be fairly pleased.

"So far, so good," he said. "Are they going to send round the motor car?
I shall be very glad to see our elderly clerical friend here."

The officer indicated that everything would be done in accordance with
Field's desire.

"There was one other man I wanted," he said. "Not that one ever gets
everything in cases like this. Unless I am greatly mistaken, there was
another man in Edward Street, a tall man----"

"Called the doctor," the officer said eagerly. "I know all about him,
because they told me over the wire from Southwark exactly how the raid
was made. The housekeeper called to some 'doctor,' but the police
couldn't find him. I expect he found some way of getting off."

"He'll come here," Field said emphatically. "He'll come if only to tell
his pals exactly what has happened. He'll come post haste in a cab. If
he does I shall bag the lot. This is going to be a fine evening's work."

Seeing that nothing further was expected of him, the officer saluted and
went beyond the gate. Still there was no sign from the house, and the
silence and suspense were growing intolerable. Mark ventured to suggest
that something should be done.

Field turned upon him with the fury of a tiger. By his anger he showed
that he, too, was feeling the strain of suspense.

"Confound you, sir," he said, "allow me to know my business best. Here I
am close to the solution of one of the strangest and most daring crimes
of the century, and yet you are asking me to spoil it by the raw haste
of a schoolboy."

"Perhaps I had better go," Mark said. "Come with