I'd say nothin' if he'd give me
money. He wouldn't, but said he'd placed a lot of pawned things with
Pash, and I could have them. He then gave me a paper saying I was to
have the things, and I went to Pash the next morning and had trouble.
But I heard by chance," again Jessop cast a strange look at Hurd, "that
Krill had been murdered, so I didn't wait for the lawyer to come back,
but cut down to Southampton and went on a short voyage. Then I come here
and you nabbed me," and Jessop finished his rum. "That's all I know."

"Do you swear you left Aaron Norman alive?"

"Meaning Krill? I do. He wasn't no use to me dead, and I made him give
me the jewels Pash had, d'ye see."

"But who warned you of the death when you were waiting?"

Jessop seemed unwilling to speak, but when pressed burst out, "'Twas a
measily little kid with ragged clothes and a dirty face."

"Tray," said Hurd. "Hum! I wonder how he knew of the murder before it
got into the papers?"

CHAPTER XXI

MISS QIAN'S PARTY

Hurd's sister was a clever young woman who in her time had played many
parts. She began her career along with Hurd as a private detective, but
when her brother joined the official service, Miss Hurd thought she
would better her position by appearing on the stage, and, therefore,
took the rather queer name of Aurora Qian. In her detective capacity she
had often disguised herself when employed in obtaining evidence, and was
remarkably talented in changing her face and figure. This art she used
with great success in her new profession, and speedily made her mark as
an impersonator of various characters out of novels. As Becky Sharp, as
Little Dorrit, she was said to be inimitable, and after playing under
several managements, she started, in the phrase of the profession, "a
show of her own," and rapidly made money.

But her great faults amongst others were vanity and extravagance, so she
was always in need of money, and when chance offered, through her
brother, to make any, she was not averse to returning to the spy
business. Thus it came about that she watched Mr. Grexon Hay for many a
long day and night, and he never suspected the pretty, fluffy, kittenish
Miss Qian was in reality an emissary of the law. Consequently, when
Aurora asked him to a card-party at her rooms, Hay accepted readily
enough, although he was not in need of money at the time.

Miss Qian occupied a tiny flat on the top of a huge pile of buildings in
Kensingto