ressed
upon the Christiania police to let me know all they could within
thirty-six hours. So if you'll stop the night here, I'll likely be able
to show you their reply to me."

"Right!" answered Allerdyke. "I'll put up at the Station Hotel. You come
and have your dinner with me there at seven o'clock."

"Much obliged, Mr. Allerdyke," replied Chettle. "I'll come."

Then Allerdyke went off to the General Post Office and sent a telegram to
his housekeeper in Bradford--

"Send off at once by registered parcel post to me at Waldorf Hotel,
London, the morocco-bound photograph album lying on right-hand corner of
my writing-desk in the library.--MARSHALL ALLERDYKE."

He went out of the post-office laughing cynically. Bit by bit things
were coming out, he said to himself as he strolled away towards the
hotel; link after link the chain was being forged. But around whom, in
the end, was it going to be fastened? It was the first time in his life
that he had ever been brought face to face with crime, and the seeking
out of the criminal was beginning to fascinate him.

"Egad, it's a queer business!" he muttered. "A thread here, a thread
there!--Heaven knows what it'll all come to. But this Chettle's a good
'un--he's like to do things."

Chettle joined him in the smoking-room of the hotel at a quarter to
seven, and immediately produced a telegram.

"Came half an hour ago," he said as they sat down in a corner. "Nobody
but myself seen it up to now. And--it's just what I expected. Read it."

Allerdyke slowly read the message through, pondering over it--

"We have made fullest inquiries concerning Lydenberg. He was certainly
not in practice here either under that or any other name. Nothing is
known of him as a resident in this city. We have definitely ascertained
that he came to Christiania from Copenhagen, by land, via Lund and
Copenhagen, arriving Christiania May 7th, and that he left here by
steamship _Perisco_ for Hull, May 10th."

"You notice the dates?" observed Chettle. "May 7th and 10th. Now, it was
on May 8th that your cousin wired to Fullaway from Christiania, Mr.
Allerdyke--there's no doubt about it! This man, Lydenberg, whoever he is
or was, was sent to waylay your cousin at Christiania--sent from London.
I've worked it out--he went overland--Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway. Sounds a lot--but it's a quick journey. Sir--he was sent!
And the sooner we find out about that photograph the better."