he went straight home. It was then about noon, and having
an engagement in Court, I was compelled to relinquish my vigil. But at a
little after five Ray entered our chambers, exclaiming:

"As I expected! That man Karff has been to see Steinheim in the
hospital. I was there awaiting him, believing that he might visit him.
Apparently the injured man has given him certain instructions."

"About what?"

Ray shrugged his shoulders in blank ignorance. Then he said, "We have
advanced one step toward the solution of the problem, my dear Jack. But
we have not gone very far."

He took the copy of the cryptogram from my writing-table and again
examined it. The figures "6.11" puzzled him. Many times he referred to
them.

Four days passed, during which we kept strict observation upon Karff and
followed him wherever he went. On the fifth day, Ray having spent all
the morning watching him, to relieve him I walked along the Theobalds
Road a few minutes before one and paused, as usual, before the oil shop
at the corner. There was no sign of my friend, and though I waited
through the whole of that cold afternoon and evening, continuing my
wearisome vigil till midnight, yet he did not come.

Much surprised, I returned to New Stone Buildings, where I found a
telegram from Ray, sent from Waterloo Station at three o'clock, telling
me that all was right, and urging me to await further information.

This I did. For a whole week I possessed myself in patience, not knowing
where Ray was or what had befallen him. That he was on the trail of a
solution of the mystery was evident, but he sent me no word of his
whereabouts.

It was apparent, however, that he was no longer in London.

Eleven days after his disappearance I one afternoon received another
telegram, which had been handed in at Chichester, asking me to go at
once to the Queen's Hotel at Southsea, where he would meet me at ten
o'clock that night.

At the hour appointed I awaited him in my bedroom overlooking Southsea
Common and the harbour, and at last he joined me. I saw by the serious
expression upon his face that something unusual had happened.

"The fellow Karff has realised that I'm following him, Jack. Therefore
you must take the matter up. He's in the service of a greengrocer in
Queen Street, close to the Hard. I haven't yet discovered his game."

Thus there was left to me a very difficult matter, a mystery which I
exerted every effort to unravel. For the next fortnigh