ou have not yet questioned her?" I
gasped anxiously.

"Not before I saw you," he replied. "I may as well tell you at once that
I had some slight suspicion that the young lady in question was
acquainted with your friend who posed as Sir Digby."

"How?" I asked.

He hesitated. "Well, I thought it most likely that as you and he were
such great friends, you might have introduced them," he said, rather
lamely.

"But surely you are not going to believe the words of this woman Petre?"
I cried. "Listen, and I will tell you how she has already endeavoured to
take my life, and thus leave Miss Shand at her mercy."

Then, as he sat listening, his feet stretched towards the fender, I
related in detail the startling adventure which befel me at Colchester.

"Extraordinary, Mr. Royle!" he exclaimed, in blank surprise. "Why, in
heaven's name, didn't you tell me this before! The snake! Why, that is
exactly the method used by Cane to secure the death of the real Sir
Digby!"

"What was the use of telling you?" I queried. "What is the use even now?
The woman has fled and, at the same time, takes a dastardly revenge upon
the woman I love."

"Tell me, Mr. Royle," said the inspector, who, in his dinner coat and
black tie, presented the appearance of the West End club man rather than
a police official. "Have you yourself any suspicion that Miss Shand has
knowledge of the affair?"

His question non-plussed me for the moment.

"Ah! I see you hesitate!" he exclaimed, shrewdly. "You have a
suspicion--now admit it."

He pressed me, and seeing that my demeanour had, alas! betrayed my
thoughts, I was compelled to speak the truth.

"Yes," I said, in a low, strained voice. "To tell you the truth,
Edwards, there are certain facts which I am utterly unable to
understand--facts which Miss Shand has admitted to me. But I still refuse
to believe that she is a murderess."

"Naturally," he remarked, and I thought I detected a slightly sarcastic
curl of the lips. "But though Miss Shand is unaware of it, I have made
certain secret inquiries--inquiries which have given astounding results,"
he said slowly. "I have, unknown to the young lady, secured some of her
finger-prints, which, on comparison, have coincided exactly with those
found upon the glass-topped table at Harrington Gardens, and also with
those which you brought to me so mysteriously." And he added, "To be
quite frank, it was that action of yours which first aroused my suspicion
regar