resigned, so pathetic; only towards the end had it become malevolent.

Hugo perceived that he must go down to the vault. No! He dared not go
himself. The sight of that vault, after yesterday's emotions, would
surely be beyond his power to bear!

'Albert,' he said, 'go to the Safe Deposit.'

'Yes, sir.'

'And inquire if anyone named--'

Hugo stopped.

'Named what, sir?'

'Never mind. I'll go myself. By the way,' he said, 'I must run over to
Belgium to-night. Perhaps I may take you with me.'

'Don't forget the inquest on Bentley to-morrow, sir. You'll have to
attend that.'

Hugo made a gesture of excessive annoyance. He had forgotten the
inquest.

'Take this telegram,' he said, suddenly inspired; and he scribbled out
the following words: 'Darcy, 16, Boulevard des Italiens, Paris. Please
come instantly; urgent case.--HUGO, London.'

'At any rate, I've made a beginning,' he murmured when Albert had gone.
'I can find out all that is to be known about Camilla from Darcy--if he
comes. I wonder if he'll come. He'd better.'

And then, collecting his powers of self-control, he went slowly down to
the Safe Deposit, and entered those steely and dreadful portals.

'Getting on all right?' he said to the newly-installed manager, a young
man with light hair from the counting-house.

'Oh yes, Mr. Hugo.'

'Any new customers?'

He trembled for the reply.

'Yes, sir. Two gentlemen came as soon as we opened this morning, and
took Vault 39. They paid a year's rent in advance. Two hundred pounds.'

'What did they want a whole vault for?'

'I can't say, sir. There was a lot of going to and fro with parcels and
things, sir, and a lot of telephoning in the waiting-room. And one of
them asked for a glass and some water. They were here a long time, sir.'

'When did they go?'

'It was about ten-thirty, sir, when one of the two gentlemen called me
to bring my key and lock up the vault. The vault was properly locked,
first with his key, and then with mine, and then he left. Perhaps it
might be a quarter to eleven, sir.'

'But the other gentleman?'

'Oh, he must have slipped off earlier, sir. I didn't see him go.'

'What did he look like?'

'Oldish man, Mr. Hugo. Gray.'

The manager was somewhat mystified by this cross-examination.

'And the name?'

'The name? Let me see. Callear. Yes, Callear, sir.'

'What?'

'C-a-l-l-e-a-r.'

'What was the address?'

'Hotel Cecil. He said he would send a permanent address