s accustomed to acquaintances cropping
up in all sorts of unlikely quarters."

"Why unlikely?" said Wickham. "Why should I not know Murdock, who
happens to be a very special and very old friend of mine? I might as
well ask you why you are interested in him."

"Because I happen to be a friend of Arthur Cressley's," I answered, "and
have come here on his business."

"And so am I also a friend of Cressley's. He has asked me to go and see
him at Cressley Hall some day, and I hope to avail myself of his
invitation. The servant told me that you were waiting for Mrs.
Murdock--can I give her any message from you?"

"I want to see Murdock himself," I said, after a pause. "Do you think
that it is possible for me to have an interview with him?"

"I left him just now and he was asleep," said Wickham. "He is still very
ill, and I think the doctor is a little anxious about him. It would not
do to disturb him on any account. Of course, if he happens to awake he
might be able to tell you what you want to know. By the way, has it
anything to do with Cressley Hall?"

"Yes; I have just had a telegram from Cressley, and the message is
somewhat important. You are quite sure that Murdock is asleep?"

"He was when I left the room, but I will go up again and see. Are you
going to London to-night, Mr. Bell?"

"No; I am going down to Cressley Hall, and must catch the seven o'clock
train. I have not a moment to wait." As I spoke I took out my watch.

"It only wants five-and-twenty minutes to seven," I said, "and I never
care to run a train to the last moment. There is no help for it, I
suppose I must go without seeing Murdock. Cressley will in all
probability send down a message to-morrow for the papers he requires."

"Just stay a moment," said Wickham, putting on an anxious expression;
"it is a great pity that you should not see Cressley's agent if it is as
vital as all that. Ah! and here comes Mrs. Murdock; wait one moment,
I'll go and speak to her."

He went out of the room, and I heard him say something in a low voice in
the passage--a woman's voice replied, and the next instant Mrs. Murdock
stood before me. She was a tall woman with a sallow face and sandy hair;
she had a blank sort of stare about her, and scarcely any expression.
Now she fixed her dull, light-blue eyes on my face and held out her
hand.

"You are Mr. Bell?" she said. "I have heard of you, of course, from Mr.
Cressley. So you are going to spend to-night with him