ry might attach to him, was a smart individual. Also he had
a frank, direct way of talking which gave his visitor a very good first
opinion of him.

"Very well, Mr. Allerdyke," he said, in conclusion. "Leave the thing
with me, and I will see what I can do. As I say, the proper course will
be to get it tried on one of the smaller railway lines--if it answers
there, we can, perhaps, induce one of the bigger companies to take it up.
I'll do my best."

Allerdyke thanked him and rose. He had certainly done something for his
man Gankrodgers, and he had seen Ramsay, or Rayner, at close quarters,
but--Ramsay was speaking again. He had picked up Allerdyke's card, and
glanced from it to its presenter, half shyly.

"You're the cousin of the Mr. Allerdyke whose name's been in the papers
so much in connection with this murder and robbery affair, I suppose?" he
said. "I've seen your own name, of course, in the various accounts."

"I am," replied Allerdyke. He had moved towards the door, but he turned
and looked at his questioner. "You followed it, then?" he asked.

"Yes," assented Ramsay. "Closely. A curiously intricate case."

"Any solution of it present itself to your mind?" asked Allerdyke in his
brusque, downright fashion. "Got any theory?"

Ramsay smiled and shook his finely shaped head. He, too, rose, walking
towards the door.

"It's a little early for that, isn't it?" he said. "I've studied these
affairs--criminology, you know--for many years. In my opinion, it's a
mistake to be too hasty in trying to arrive at solutions. But," he added,
with a shrug of his misshapen shoulders, "it's always the way of the
police, and of most folk who try to get at the truth. Things that are
deep down need some deep digging for!"

"There's the question of the present whereabouts of nearly three
hundred thousand pounds' worth of jewels," remarked Allerdyke grimly.
"Remember that!"

"Quite so," agreed Ramsay. "But--your own particular and personal desire,
as I gather from the newspapers, is to find the murderer of your cousin?"

"Ah!" said Allerdyke. "And it is! Got any ideas on that point?"

Ramsay smiled as he opened the door.

"I think," he said, with a quiet significance. "I think that you'll be
having all this mystery explained and cleared up all of a sudden, Mr.
Allerdyke, in a way that'll surprise you. These things are like
warfare--there's a sudden turn of events, a sudden big event just when
you're not expecting it. Well,