oms, Mr. Headland. Carboys' was the one directly at the head of
the stairs, in the front. Won't you and Mr. Narkom go up and search
without me? I couldn't bear to look into the place and see the things
that belonged to him and he not there. It would cut me to the heart if I
did. Or, maybe you would sooner go alone, and leave Mr. Narkom to search
round this room. We used to make a general sitting-room of it at nights
when we were alone together, and some clue may have been dropped."

"A good suggestion, Mr. Narkom," commented Cleek, as he took the keys.
"Look round and see what you can find, whilst I 'poke about' upstairs."
Then he walked out of the studio. And a few moments later, Narkom going
round and searching every nook and corner, whilst Van Nant, for the want
of something to occupy his mind and hands worked on the nymph, could
hear him moving about overhead in quest of possible clues.

For perhaps twenty minutes Cleek was away; then he came down and walked
into the room looking the very picture of hopeless bewilderment.

"Mr. Narkom," he said, "this case stumps me. I believe there's magic in
it, if you ask me; and as the only way to fight magic is with magic, I'm
going to consult a clairvoyante, and if one of those parties can't give
me a clue, I don't believe the mystery ever will be solved. I know of a
ripping good one, but she is over in Ireland, and as it's a dickens of a
way to go, I shan't be able to get back before the day after to-morrow
at the earliest. But--look here, sir, I'll tell you what! This is
Tuesday evening, isn't it? Now if you and Mr. Van Nant will be at
Captain Morrison's house on Thursday evening at seven o'clock, and will
wait there until I come, I'll tell you what that clairvoyante says, and
whether there's any chance of this thing being solved or not. Is that
agreeable, Mr. Van Nant?"

"Quite, Mr. Headland. I'll be there promptly."

"And stop until you hear from me?"

"And stop until I hear from you."

"Right you are, sir. Now then, Mr. Narkom, if you'll let the chauffeur
whisk me over to the station, I'll get back to London and on to the
earliest possible train for Liverpool, so as to be on hand for the first
Irish packet to-morrow. And while you're looking for your hat, sir--good
evening, Mr. Van Nant--I'll step outside and tell Lennard to crank up."

With that, he passed out of the studio, walked down the hall, and went
out of the house. And half a minute later, when the superin