y. There was no sufficient of any
one of them left for identification.

"He's a clever devil," he whispered.

Then he opened the bag and again his countenance lightened. Inside was
an empty bottle bearing the label of a London chemist, with the
additional superscription--"Peroxide of Hydrogen."

"The fair hair is accounted for," commented Forrest. "And as for the dye
which would restore his locks to their natural colour, I presume he has
it under lock and key."

He slipped the bottle into his pocket and returned downstairs, I
following at his heels.

"There's not enough at present against him to warrant his arrest," he
said, when we were again in the sitting-room.

"Then why not have a look round his workshops," I suggested.

"His what?" queried Forrest, eagerly.

"Haven't I ever mentioned them to you? Haven't you ever heard that
Mannering spends all his spare time in experimental motor construction?"
I asked in surprise.

"I think I have heard it mentioned, but until this moment I have always
thought it was chaff," he replied.

"Good heavens!" I ejaculated.

"I should have been inside that shop a couple of months ago," he
continued, "if I had thought---- Whereabouts is the shop?"

"Just at the back of the house and abutting on the side of the road," I
explained. "The old coach-house and stables." Then as the thought
occurred to me, I continued, "Why I heard him tell you of his work
himself."

"That's precisely the reason why I paid no attention to it," said my
companion. "Can you take me to the place?"

I led the way through the French window, Forrest putting out the light
before he followed me, and carefully closing the casement behind him as
he stepped on to the verandah. A clock, somewhere in St. Albans, struck
the half after two as we crossed the lawn in the direction of the
workshop.

"We have only a short time at our disposal," whispered Forrest. "The
darkness is lifting, and our friend will soon be returning."

We passed through a side door, which we found unlocked, into what had
once been the stable-yard. But we could get no further. The two doors
which gave admission to the building were firmly fastened, and there was
no available window by which we might gain entrance. We retraced our
steps, and, passing out of the door, approached the stables from the
road. By this time the dawn had made such progress that we knew our
chances of getting inside before Mannering's return were dwindling
ra