sitting."

"Describe her," said Starmidge.

"Tallish, very good figure, very good-looking, well-dressed, but
quietly," replied Gandam. "Had a veil on when she came in, but lifted it
when she sat down by Chestermarke. What I should call a handsome woman,
Mr. Starmidge--and, I should say, about thirty-five to forty. Dark hair,
dark eyes--taking expression."

"Mrs. Carswell, for a fiver!" thought Starmidge. "Well?" he said aloud.
"You say she went straight over to him?"

"Straight to him--and began talking at once," answered Gandam. "It
seemed to me that it was what you might call an adjourned meeting--they
began talking as if they were sort of taking up a conversation. But she
did most of the talking. He ordered some dinner for both of 'em as soon
as she came--she talked while they ate. Of course, being right across
the room from them, I couldn't catch a word that was said, but she
seemed to be explaining something to him the whole time, and I could see
he was surprised--more than once."

"It must have been something uncommonly surprising to make him show
signs of surprise!" muttered Starmidge, who had a vivid recollection of
Gabriel Chestermarke's granite countenance. "Yes?--go on."

"They were there about three-quarters of an hour," continued Gandam. "Of
course, I ate my dinner while they ate theirs, and I took good care not
to let them see that I was watching them. As soon as I saw signs of a
move on their part--when she began putting on her gloves--I paid my
waiter and slipped out upstairs to the front entrance. I got a taxi-cab
driver to pull up by the kerb and wait for me, and told him who I was
and what I was after, and that if those two got into a cab he was to
follow wherever they went--cautiously. Gave him a description of the
man, you know. Then I hung round till they came out. They parted at
once--she went off up Regent Street----"

"I wish you'd had another man with you!" exclaimed Starmidge. "I'd give
a lot to get hold of that woman. She's probably the housekeeper who
disappeared from the bank, you know."

"So I guessed, Mr. Starmidge, but what could I do?" said Gandam. "I
couldn't follow both, and it was the man you'd put me on to. I decided,
of course, for him. Well--he tried to get my cab; when he found it was
engaged, he walked on a bit to the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and got
one there. And, of course, we followed. A longish follow, too!--right
away up to the back of Regent's Park. You know