treet, and apparently consisted
of no more than two rooms, which, if not exactly shabby, were somewhat
well-worn as to furniture and fittings. It was evident, too, that Mr.
Godwin Markham's clerical staff was not extensive. There was a young man
clerk, and a young woman clerk in the outer office: the first was
turning over a pile of circulars at the counter; the second, seated at a
typewriter, was taking down a letter which was being dictated to her by
a man who, still hatted and overcoated, had evidently just arrived, and
was leaning against the mantelpiece with his hands in his pockets. He
was a very ordinary, plain-countenanced, sandy-haired, quite
commercial-looking man, this, who might have been anything from a Stock
Exchange clerk to a suburban house-agent. But there was a sudden
alertness in his eye as he turned it on the visitors, which showed them
that he was well equipped in mental acuteness, and probably as alert as
his features were commonplace.

The circular-sorting young man looked up with indifference as Easleby
approached the counter, and when the detective asked if Mr. Godwin
Markham could be seen, turned silently and interrogatively to the man
who leaned against the mantelpiece. He, interrupting his dictation, came
forward again, narrowly but continually eyeing the two men.

"Mr. Markham is not in town, gentlemen," he said, in a quick,
business-like fashion, which convinced Starmidge that the speaker was
not uttering any mere excuse. "He was here yesterday for an hour or two,
but he will be away for some days now. Can I do anything for you?--his
manager."

Easleby handed over the two professional cards which he had in
readiness, and leaned across the counter.

"A word or two in private," he whispered confidentially. "Business
matter."

Starmidge, watching Mr. James Stipp's face closely as he looked at the
cards, saw that he was not the sort of man to be taken unawares. There
was not the faintest flicker of an eyelid, not a motion of the lips, not
the tiniest start of surprise, no show of unusual interest on the
manager's part: he nodded, opened a door in the counter, and waved the
two detectives towards the inner room.

"Be seated, gentlemen," he said, following them inside. "You'll excuse
me a minute--important letter to get off--I won't keep you long."

He closed the door upon them and Starmidge and Easleby glanced round
before taking the chairs to which Mr. Stipp had pointed. There was
litt