and self-possessed bow. He presently
followed the footman from the room, and Peggie, for the first time since
Jacob Herapath's death, suddenly let her face relax and burst into a
hearty laugh.

CHAPTER XIX

WEAVING THE NET

That evening Triffitt got Burchill's address from Carver, and next day
he drew a hundred pounds from the cashier of the _Argus_ and went off to
Calengrove Mansions. In his mind there was a clear and definite notion.
It might result in something; it might come to nothing, but he was going
to try it. Briefly, it was that if he wished--as he unfeignedly did
wish--to find out anything about Burchill, he must be near him; so near,
indeed, that he could keep an eye on him, acquaint himself with his
goings and comings, observe his visitors, watch for possible openings,
make himself familiar with Burchill's daily life. It might be a
difficult task; it might be an easy task--in any case, it was a task
that must be attempted. With Markledew's full consent and approval
behind him and Markledew's money-bags to draw upon, Triffitt felt equal
to attempting anything.

The first thing was to take a quiet look at Burchill's immediate
environment. Calengrove Mansions turned out to be one of the smaller of
the many blocks of residential flats which have of late years arisen in
such numbers in the neighbourhood of Maida Vale and St. John's Wood. It
was an affair of some five or six floors, and judging from what Triffitt
could see of it from two sides, it was not fully occupied at that time,
for many of its windows were uncurtained, and there was a certain air of
emptiness about the upper storeys. This fact was not unpleasing to
Triffitt; it argued that he would have small difficulty in finding a
lodgment within the walls which sheltered the man he wanted to watch.
And in pursuance of his scheme, which, as a beginning, was to find out
exactly where Burchill was located, he walked into the main entrance and
looked about him, hoping to find an address-board. Such a board
immediately caught his eye, affixed to the wall near the main staircase.
Then Triffitt saw that the building was divided into five floors, each
floor having some three or four flats. Those on the bottom floors
appeared to be pretty well taken; the names of their occupants were
neatly painted in small compartments on the board. Right at the top was
the name Mr. Frank Burchill--and on that floor, which evidently
possessed three flats, there wer