y town he experienced little difficulty in learning the
antecedents of Mrs. Numagawa Jiro.

In the first hotel he entered he found a young lady behind the bar who was
not only well acquainted with Mrs. Jiro, but remembered the circumstances
of the courtship.

"The fact is," she explained, "there are a lot of silly girls about who
think every man with a dark skin is a prince in his own country if only he
wears a silk hat and patent leather boots."

"Is that all?" said Brett.

"All what?" cried the girl. "Oh, don't be stupid! I mean when they are
well dressed. Princess, indeed! Catch me marrying a nigger."

"But Japanese are not niggers."

"Well, they're not my sort, anyhow. And fancy a great gawk like Flossie
Bird taking on with a little man who doesn't reach up to her elbow. It was
simply ridiculous. What did you say her name is now?"

He gave the required information, and went on:

"Had Mr. Jiro any other friends in Ipswich to your knowledge?"

"He didn't know a soul. He was here for the Assizes, about some case, I
think. Oh, I remember--the 'Stowmarket Mystery'--and he stayed at the
hotel where Flossie was engaged. How she ever came to take notice of him,
I can't imagine. She was a queer sort of girl--used to wear bloomers, and
get off her bike to clout the small boys who chi-iked at her."

"Do her people live here?"

"Yes, and a rare old row they made about her marriage--for she is married,
I will say that for her. But why are you so interested in her?"

The fair Hebe glanced in a mirror to confirm her personal opinion that
there were much nicer girls than Flossie Bird left in Ipswich.

"Not in her," said Brett; "in the example she set."

"What do you mean?"

"If a little Japanese can come to this town and carry off a lady of her
size and appearance, what may not a six-foot Englishman hope to
accomplish?"

"Oh, go on!"

He took her advice, and went on to the hotel patronised by Mr. Jiro during
his visit to Ipswich. The landlord readily showed him the register for the
Assize week. Most of the guests were barristers and solicitors, many of
them known personally to Brett. None of the other names struck him as
important, though he noted a few who arrived on the same day as the
Japanese, "Mr. Okasaki."

He took the next train to London, and reached Victoria Street, to find Mr.
Winter awaiting him, and carefully nursing a brown paper parcel.

"I got your wire, Mr. Brett," he explained, "and this morn