ting Angelo's famous remark
anent his master Lorenzo's faun: "What a pity to have spoilt so much
expensive material," and Van Nant, observing, waved his hand toward it.

"A slumbering nymph," he explained. "Only the head and shoulders
finished as yet, you see. I began it the day before, yesterday, but my
hand seems somehow to have lost its cunning. Here are the keys of all
the rooms, Mr. Headland. Carboys' was the one directly at the head of
the stairs, in the front. Won't you and Mr. Narkom go up and search
without me? I couldn't bear to look into the place and see the things
that belonged to him and he not there. It would cut me to the heart if I
did. Or, maybe, you would sooner go alone, and leave Mr. Narkom to
search round this room. We used to make a general sitting-room of it at
nights when we were alone together, and some clue may have been
dropped."

"A good suggestion, Mr. Narkom," commented Cleek, as he took the keys.
"Look round and see what you can find whilst I poke about upstairs."
Then he walked out of the studio and searching every nook and corner,
whilst Van Nant, for the want of something to occupy his mind and his
hands, worked on the nymph, and could hear him moving about overhead in
quest of possible clues.

For perhaps twenty minutes Cleek was away; then he came down and walked
into the room looking the very picture of hopeless bewilderment.

"Mr. Narkom," he said, "this case stumps me. I believe there's magic in
it, if you ask me; and as the only way to find magic is with magic, I am
going to consult a clairvoyante, and if one of those parties can't give
me a clue, I don't believe the mystery will ever be solved. I know of a
ripping one, but she is over in Ireland, and as it's a dickens of a way
to go, I shan't be able to get back before the day after to-morrow at
the earliest. But--look here, sir, I'll tell you what! This is Tuesday
evening, isn't it? Now if you and Mr. Van Nant will be at Captain
Morrison's house on Thursday evening at seven o'clock, and will wait
there until I come, I'll tell you what that clairvoyante says, and
whether there's any chance of this thing being solved or not. Is that
agreeable, Mr. Van Nant?"

"Quite, Mr. Headland. I'll be there promptly."

"And stop until you hear from me?"

"And stop until I hear from you--yes."

"Right you are, sir. Now then, Mr. Narkom, if you'll let the chauffeur
whisk me over to the station, I'll get back to London and on to the
ea