id Selwood, affecting disappointment.
"That's a pity. I wanted to see him. I wonder if he left any address?"

The manager showed more politeness in returning to the hotel office and
making inquiry. He came back full of disappointment that he could not
oblige his customer. No--no address--merely there for two nights--then
gone--nobody knew where. Perhaps he would return--some day.

"Oh, it's of no great consequence, thank you," remarked Selwood. "I'm
much obliged to you."

He had found out, at any rate, that a man named Dimambro had certainly
stayed at the Hotel Ravenna on the critical and important date.
Presumably he was the man who had presented Jacob Herapath's cheque at
Bittleston's Bank first thing on the morning after the murder. But
whether this man had any connection with that murder, whether to
discover his whereabouts would be to reveal something of use in
establishing Barthorpe Herapath's innocence, were questions which he
must leave to Professor Cox-Raythwaite, to whom he was presently going
with his news.

He had just finished his coffee, and was about to pay his bill when,
looking up to summon the waiter, he suddenly saw a face appear behind
the glass panel of the street door--the face of a man who had evidently
stolen quietly into the entry between the evergreen shrubs and wished to
take a surreptitious peep into the interior of the little restaurant. It
was there, clearly seen through the glass, but for one fraction of a
second--then it was withdrawn as swiftly as it had come and the panel of
glass was blank again. But in that flash of time Selwood had recognized
it.

Burchill!

CHAPTER XXIX

THE NOTE IN THE PRAYER-BOOK

Selwood hurried out of that restaurant as soon as he had paid his bill,
but it was with small hopes of finding the man whose face had appeared
at the glass panel for the fraction of a second. As well look for one
snowflake in a drift as for one man in those crowded streets!--all the
same, he spent half an hour in wandering round the neighbourhood,
looking eagerly at every tall figure he met or passed. And at the end of
that time he went off to Endsleigh Gardens and reported progress to
Professor Cox-Raythwaite.

The Professor heard both items of news without betraying any great
surprise.

"You're sure it was Burchill?" he asked.

"As sure," answered Selwood, "as that you're you! His is not a face easy
to mistake."

"He's a daring fellow," observed the Professor,