e slipped
the knife in his vest and ran again to the door. After a lot of
ostentatious fumbling he managed to turn the key again and open the
door. Juliet was flushed and looked at him angrily. But she cast no
second look at the cornice, which showed Jennings that she did not
suspect his ruse.

"Your dress caught the door and shut it," he explained, "the lock seems
to be out of order."

"I never knew it was," said Juliet, examining it; "it always locked
easy enough before."

"Hum," thought Jennings, "so you have been here before and you have
kept the door locked on account of the knife probably," but he looked
smilingly at the girl all the time.

"I am sorry," he said, when she desisted from her examination.

"It's my fault," said Juliet unsuspiciously, and closed the door. She
led the way along the passage and down the stairs. "Who are you?" she
asked, turning round half way down.

"I am a friend of Mallow's," said the detective.

"I have never met you?"

"Yet I have been to your house, Miss Saxon. Perhaps my name, Miles
Jennings, may--"

The girl started with a cry. "You are a detective!" she gasped.

CHAPTER XIV

MRS. OCTAGON EXPLAINS

The young girl leaned against the wall, white, and with closed eyes.
Alarmed by her appearance, Jennings would have assisted her, but she
waved him off and staggered down the stairs. By a powerful effort she
managed to subdue her feelings, and when in the hall turned to him with
a sickly smile. "I am glad to see you," she said. "Mr. Mallow has
often spoken to you of me. You are his friend, I know."

"His best friend, in spite of the difference in our position."

"Oh," Juliet waved that objection aside, "I know you are a gentleman
and took up this work merely as a hobby."

"I fear not," smiled Jennings. "To make money."

"Not in a very pleasant way. However, as you are Mr. Mallow's friend,
I am glad you have this case in hand," she fixed her eyes on the
detective. "Have you discovered anything?" she asked anxiously.

"Nothing much," replied Jennings, who rapidly decided to say nothing
about his discovery of the knife. "I fear the truth will never be
found out, Miss Saxon. I suppose you have no idea?"

"I," she said, coloring, "what put such a thing into your head? I am
absolutely ignorant of the truth. Did you come to ask me about--"

"That amongst other things," interrupted Jennings, seeing Mrs. Pill's
bulky figure at the door. "Can we