singularly handsome woman. I presume she was a friend of
yours, since you are acquainted with all these details."

"I am acquainted with the details because--well, it was I who found her
dead."

"Indeed," said the doctor, starting.

"Yes," said Sir James, and stroked his chin reflectively.

"This is very sad news, but you will excuse me if I say that I do not
see how it bears on the subject of your inquiry?"

"It bears on it in this way, is it not a fact that Mrs. Vandemeyer
committed a young relative of hers to your charge?"

Julius leaned forward eagerly.

"That is the case," said the doctor quietly.

"Under the name of----?"

"Janet Vandemeyer. I understood her to be a niece of Mrs. Vandemeyer's."

"And she came to you?"

"As far as I can remember in June or July of 1915."

"Was she a mental case?"

"She is perfectly sane, if that is what you mean. I understood from Mrs.
Vandemeyer that the girl had been with her on the Lusitania when
that ill-fated ship was sunk, and had suffered a severe shock in
consequence."

"We're on the right track, I think?" Sir James looked round.

"As I said before, I'm a mutt!" returned Julius.

The doctor looked at them all curiously.

"You spoke of wanting a statement from her," he said. "Supposing she is
not able to give one?"

"What? You have just said that she is perfectly sane."

"So she is. Nevertheless, if you want a statement from her concerning
any events prior to May 7, 1915, she will not be able to give it to
you."

They looked at the little man, stupefied. He nodded cheerfully.

"It's a pity," he said. "A great pity, especially as I gather, Sir
James, that the matter is important. But there it is, she can tell you
nothing."

"But why, man? Darn it all, why?"

The little man shifted his benevolent glance to the excited young
American.

"Because Janet Vandemeyer is suffering from a complete loss of memory."

"WHAT?"

"Quite so. An interesting case, a very interesting case. Not so
uncommon, really, as you would think. There are several very well known
parallels. It's the first case of the kind that I've had under my own
personal observation, and I must admit that I've found it of absorbing
interest." There was something rather ghoulish in the little man's
satisfaction.

"And she remembers nothing," said Sir James slowly.

"Nothing prior to May 7, 1915. After that date her memory is as good as
yours or mine."

"Then the first thing she remem