rn this letter, and be at the gate by ten o clock. Beneath it
were signed the initials L. L."

"Have you got that slip?"

"No, sir, it crumbled all to bits after we moved it."

"Had Sir Charles received any other letters in the same writing?"

"Well, sir, I took no particular notice of his letters. I should
not have noticed this one, only it happened to come alone."

"And you have no idea who L. L. is?"

"No, sir. No more than you have. But I expect if we could lay our
hands upon that lady we should know more about Sir Charles's
death."

"I cannot understand, Barrymore, how you came to conceal this
important information."

"Well, sir, it was immediately after that our own trouble came to
us. And then again, sir, we were both of us very fond of Sir
Charles, as we well might be considering all that he has done for
us. To rake this up couldn't help our poor master, and it's well
to go carefully when there's a lady in the case. Even the best of
us ----"

"You thought it might injure his reputation?"

"Well, sir, I thought no good could come of it. But now you have
been kind to us, and I feel as if it would be treating you
unfairly not to tell you all that I know about the matter."

"Very good, Barrymore; you can go." When the butler had left us
Sir Henry turned to me. "Well, Watson, what do you think of this
new light?"

"It seems to leave the darkness rather blacker than before."

"So I think. But if we can only trace L. L. it should clear up
the whole business. We have gained that much. We know that there
is someone who has the facts if we can only find her. What do you
think we should do?"

"Let Holmes know all about it at once. It will give him the clue
for which he has been seeking. I am much mistaken if it does not
bring him down."

I went at once to my room and drew up my report of the morning's
conversation for Holmes. It was evident to me that he had been
very busy of late, for the notes which I had from Baker Street
were few and short, with no comments upon the information which I
had supplied and hardly any reference to my mission. No doubt his
blackmailing case is absorbing all his faculties. And yet this
new factor must surely arrest his attention and renew his
interest. I wish that he were here.

OCTOBER 17TH.--All day to-day the rain poured down, rustling on
the ivy and dripping from the eaves. I thought of the convict out
upon the bleak, cold, shelterless moor. Poor devil! Whatever his