an
that the body was indeed that of his former acquaintance. His agitation
became painful.

"You're right!" he cried. "It is he! And it's my fault. Oh, if I had
only done what she said! If I had only kept out of it!"

He wrung his hands in his anguish.

Willis was much interested. Though this man could not be personally
guilty--he was not tall enough, for one thing--he must surely know
enough about the affair to put the inspector on the right track. The
latter began eagerly to await his story.

Merriman for his part was anxious for nothing so much as to tell it.
He was sick to death of plots and investigations and machinations, and
while driving to the Yard he had made up his mind that if the dead man
were indeed Madeleine's father, he would tell the whole story of his
and Hilliard's investigations into the doings of the syndicate. When,
therefore, they were back in the inspector's room, he made a determined
effort to pull himself together and speak calmly.

"Yes," he said, "I know him. He lived near Bordeaux with his daughter.
She will be absolutely alone. You will understand that I must go out to
her by the first train, but until then I am at your service.

"You are a relation perhaps?"

"No, only an acquaintance, but--I'm going to tell you the whole story,
and I may as well say, once for all, that it is my earnest hope some day
to marry Miss Coburn."

Willis bowed and inquired, "Is Miss Coburn's name Madeleine?"

"Yes," Merriman answered, surprise and eagerness growing in his face.

"Then," Willis went on, "you will be pleased to learn that she is not
in France--at least, I think not. She left the Peveril Hotel in Russell
Square about eleven o'clock yesterday morning."

Merriman sprang to his feet.

"In London?" he queried excitedly. "Where? What address?"

"We don't know yet, but we shall soon find her. Now, sir, you can't do
anything for the moment, and I am anxious to hear your story. Take your
own time, and the more details you can give me the better."

Merriman controlled himself with an effort.

"Well," he said slowly, sitting down again, "I have something to tell
you, inspector. My friend Hilliard--Claud Hilliard of the Customs
Department--and I have made a discovery. We have accidentally come
on what we believe is a criminal conspiracy, we don't know for what
purpose, except that it is something big and fraudulent. We were coming
to the Yard in any case to tell what we had learned, but this