g question to which I
could not even suggest an answer.

"What was it you called to Anne about seeing her on Tuesday?" demanded
Mary, who fortunately did not notice my preoccupation.

"I shall break my journey there."

"Of course. I forgot you were off to-morrow. Where to?"

"St. Petersburg."

"My! You'll have a lively time there by all accounts. Here we are; I
hadn't time for breakfast, and I'm hungry. Aren't you?"

As we crossed the hall I saw a woman's dark cloak, flung across an oak
settee. It struck me as being rather like that which Anne--if it were
Anne--had worn. Mary picked it up.

"That oughtn't to be lying there. It's Mrs. Sutherland's. Anne borrowed
it last night as her own was flimsy for a car. I must send it back
to-day. Go right up to Jim's dressing-room, Maurice; you'll find all you
want there."

She ran up the stairs before me, the cloak over her arm, little thinking
how significant that cloak was to me.

I cut myself rather badly while shaving, and I evinced a poor appetite
for breakfast. Jim and Mary, especially Jim, saw fit to rally me on
that, and on my solemn visage, which was not exactly beautified by the
cut. I took myself off as soon after the meal as I decently could, on
the plea of getting through with my packing; though I promised to return
in the evening to say good-bye.

I had remembered my appointment with the old Russian, and was
desperately anxious not to be out if he should come.

On one point I was determined. I would give no one, not even Mary, so
much as a hint of the mysteries that were half-maddening me; at least
until I had been able to seek an explanation of them from Anne herself.

My man never turned up, nor had he been there while I was absent, as I
elicited by a casual inquiry of Jenkins as to whether any one had
called.

I told him when I returned from the Cayleys that I was going away in the
morning, and he came to lend a hand with the packing and clearing up.

"No, sir, not a soul's been; the street door was shut all morning. I'd
rather be rung up a dozen times than have bad characters prowling about
on the staircase. There's a lot of wrong 'uns round about Westminster!
Seems quieter than usual up here to-day, don't it, sir? With all the
residentials away, except you."

"Why, is Cassavetti away, too?" I asked, looking up.

"I think he must be, sir, for I haven't seen or heard anything of him.
But I don't do for him as I do for you and the other gents. H