That is where I first knew him."

The doctor looked at her thoughtfully. Perhaps for the first time he
realized that Anna was by no means an ordinary person. His patient was
distinctly of a different order of life. It was possible that his
first impressions had not been correct.

"Your name, I believe, is----"

"Pellissier," Anna answered.

"Allow me," the doctor said, "to give you a word of advice, Miss
Pellissier. A detective will be here in a few moments to make
inquiries into this affair. You may have something to conceal, you may
not. Tell the whole truth. It always comes out sooner or later. Don't
try to shield anybody or hide anything. It is bad policy."

Anna smiled very faintly.

"I thank you for your advice," she said. "I can assure you that it was
quite unnecessary. I know less about this affair perhaps than you
suppose. What I do know I shall have no hesitation in telling anyone
who has the right to ask."

"Just so," the doctor remarked drily. "And if I were you I would keep
away from the fire."

Brendon reappeared, followed by a tall thin man with a stubbly brown
moustache and restless grey eyes. The doctor nodded to him curtly.

"Good evening, Dorling," he said. "Before you do anything else I
should advise you to secure those charred fragments of paper from the
grate. I know nothing about this affair, but some one has been burning
documents."

The detective went down on his hands and knees. With delicate touch he
rescued all that was possible of them, and made a careful little
parcel. Then he stepped briskly to his feet and bent over the wounded
man.

"Shot through the lungs," he remarked.

The doctor nodded.

"Bad hemorrhage," he said. "I am going to fetch some things that will
be wanted if he pulls through the next hour. I found him lying like
this, the bleeding partly stopped by this scarf, else he had been dead
by now."

The doctor glanced towards Anna. Considering his convictions he felt
that his remark was a generous one. Anna's face however was wholly
impassive.

He took up his hat and went. The detective rapidly sketched the
appearance of the room in his notebook, and picked up the pistol from
under the table. Then he turned to Anna.

"Can you give me any information as to this affair?" he asked.

"I will tell you all that I know," Anna said. "My name is Anna
Pellissier, sometimes called Annabel. I am engaged to sing every
evening at the 'Unusual' music hall. This man's nam