url of the
lips, "I might find it somewhat difficult to explain your presence if my
aunt or any visitors should come in."

"I am sorry, Miss Morse," the Inspector said quietly, "to find you so
unsympathetic. Had I found you differently disposed, I was going to ask
you to put yourself in my place. I was going to ask you to look at these
two tragedies from my point of view and from your own at the same time,
and I was going to ask you whether any possible motive suggested itself
to you, any possible person or cause, which might be benefited by the
removal of these two men."

"If you think, Mr. Jacks," Penelope said, "that I am keeping anything
from you, you are very much mistaken. Such sympathy as I have would
certainly be with those who are attempting to bring to justice the
perpetrator of such unmentionable crimes. What I object to is the
unpleasantness of being associated with your inquiries when I am
absolutely unable to give you the least help, or to supply you with any
information which is not equally attainable to you."

"As, for instance?" the Inspector asked.

"You are a detective," Penelope said coldly. "You do not need me to
point out certain things to you. Mr. Hamilton Fynes was robbed and
murdered--an American citizen on his way to London. Mr. Richard
Vanderpole is also murdered, after a call upon Mr. James B. Coulson,
the only acquaintance whom Mr. Fynes is known to have possessed in this
country. Did Mr. Fynes share secrets with Mr. Coulson? If so, did Mr.
Coulson pass them on to Mr. Vanderpole, and for that reason did Mr.
Vanderpole meet with the same death, at the same hands, as had befallen
Mr. Fynes?"

Inspector Jacks moved his head thoughtfully.

"It is admirably put," he assented, "and to continue?"

"It is not my place to make suggestions to you," Penelope said. "If you
are able to connect Mr. Fynes with the American Government, you arrive
at the possibility of these murders having been committed for some
political end. I presume you read your newspapers?"

Inspector Jacks smiled, picked up his hat and bowed, while Penelope,
with a sigh of relief, moved over to the bell.

"My dear young lady," he said, "you do not understand how important even
the point of view of another person is to a man who is struggling to
build up a theory. Whether you have helped me as much as you could,"
he added, looking her in the face, "you only can tell, but you have
certainly helped me a little."

The footma