it to you another time. But the worst of it is," resumed Steel
dolefully, "that Dane will warn Wilson and he will get away. All the
same, now you have told me Wilson has a brother I may be able to find
out something in that quarter. The brother is all right?"

"He is an honest man, if that is what you mean."

"H'm!" said Steel sceptically. "I don't see how there can be any honest
member of the Franklin family."

"Do you include Miss Denham?" asked Giles furiously.

"Well, sir, she sails under false colors."

"She can explain that."

"I hope she will be able to when I catch her."

"Steel, I won't stand this!" cried Ware, much agitated.

The detective thought for a moment. "See here, sir," he remarked, "we
won't discuss this matter until I have caught Dane."

"How do you hope to catch him?"

"I have laid a trap for him at the Princess Karacsay's flat," said Steel
quietly. "Oh, don't look so astonished. This Dane was one of the
attendants at some concert where the Princess sang. He fell in love with
her, and has been bothering her with letters. I have arranged that he
shall call at the flat. I'll be waiting for him."

"It's odd that the Princess should know about this man," said Ware.

Steel looked at him queerly. "It is odd," he said; "and to my mind it is
more than a coincidence. Princess Olga is a clever woman. I have to be
very careful with her."

"Do you mean to say that she knows anything?" asked Giles.

"I am sure she does. I believe she could explain the whole business; but
I can't find out how she came to be connected with it. Well, Mr. Ware, I
must be off. When I see Dane and get the truth out of him, I'll see you
again. I hope, for your sake, that Miss Denham is not the daughter of
this man, but from a few words let drop by Dane I fear she is. At all
events, sir, you can set your mind at rest about her being guilty of
murder. She is innocent. The father did it."

Giles departed, much comforted by this statement. He knew well enough
that Anne was the daughter of Wilson, alias Denham, alias Franklin, and
he shuddered again to think of his pure, good Anne being mixed up with a
man who was hand and glove with the criminal classes and a criminal
himself. However, he put this matter out of his mind for the moment, and
drove to the Westminster flat. If Anne was there, he determined to take
her away to a place of safety, and defy Steel and Walter Franklin to do
their worst.

He went up the stairs, and