there will be no difficulty?"

"None at all, I think," said Beale. "I will tell her that you are
interested in the work she is doing. I might introduce you as Mr.
Scobbs," he smiled.

"Who is Scobbs?"

"He is a proprietor of a series of hotels in Western Canada, and is, I
should imagine, a most praiseworthy and inoffensive captain of minor
industry, but Miss Cresswell is rather interested in him," he laughed.
"She found the name occurring in Canadian guide-books and was struck by
its quaintness."

"Scobbs," said the lawyer slowly. "I seem to know that name."

"You had better know it if I am going to introduce you as Scobbs
himself," laughed Beale.

"Shall I be in the way?" asked the superintendent.

"No, please stay," said Beale. "I would like you to see this lady. We
may want your official assistance one of these days to get her out of a
scrape."

Mr. Beale passed out of the flat and pressed the bell of the door next
to his. There was no response. He pressed it again after an interval,
and stepped back to look at the fanlight. No light showed and he took
out his watch. It was nine o'clock. He had not seen the girl all day,
having been present at the inquest, but he had heard her door close two
hours before. No reply came to his second ring, and he went back to his
flat.

"She's out," he said. "I don't quite understand it. I particularly
requested her yesterday not to go out after dark for a day or two."

He walked into his bedroom and opened the window. The light of day was
still in the sky, but he took a small electric lamp to guide him along
the narrow steel balcony which connected all the flats with the
fire-escape. He found her window closed and bolted, but with the skill
of a professional burglar he unfastened the catch and stepped inside.

The room was in darkness. He switched on the light and glanced round. It
was Oliva's bedroom, and her workday hat and coat were lying on the bed.
He opened the long cupboard where she kept her limited wardrobe. He
knew, because it was his business to know, every dress she possessed.
They were all there as, also, were the three hats which she kept on a
shelf. All the drawers of the bureau were closed and there was no sign
of any disorder such as might be expected if she had changed and gone
out. He opened the door of the bedroom and walked into the sitting-room,
lighting his way across to the electric switch by means of his lamp.

The moment the light flooded the