gone out from
police headquarters or been sent by that stealthy-faced, invaluable
major-domo of Wildred's.

By half-past five I was in the train again, carrying with me all that I
could want for the stay of a day or two in a strange hotel, and before
eight o'clock I had dined and was anxiously awaiting the appearance of
the detective. I had hardly dared to hope as yet for any answer to my
cablegrams, still I was disappointed to find upon my advent in Great
Marlow that nothing had arrived.

Every step along the corridor outside the private sitting-room I had
taken made me start like a nervous woman, fancying each time that a
knock on my door might follow and the wished-for message be handed in to
me.

I did not believe that I should hear from Farnham, because my conviction
was steadily growing that his murdered body lay unidentified in the
mortuary not far away. But I did expect to hear from the ship's company
to the effect that no such passenger had been on board the _St.
Paul_. Should this intelligence arrive, there would be so great an
increase of the circumstantial evidence against Wildred that I believed
the police would be justified in making an arrest. Wildred once arrested
and obliged to stand his trial for the crime of murder, Karine
Cunningham would be saved.

Eight o'clock struck, however, and I was reluctantly obliged to give up
all idea of receiving any news from America for the night. Five minutes
later, as I restlessly paced the room, the wished-for knock sounded, but
there was no cablegram to be presented on a tray. A young, fresh-faced
man in plain clothing stood there, who I knew before he spoke must be
the expected detective. His information might prove of equal importance
with the tidings from America, and I received him cordially.

With his first words, however, my heart went down like lead. It was not
that I was eager to see a presumably innocent man proved a murderer for
the sake of my own selfish ends, but thoroughly believing Wildred to be
a consummate scoundrel, I was anxious that he should be found out in
time to prevent disaster.

"I think sir," said the young man of the cheerful countenance, "that
we've been on a false scent to-day."

I got him to sit down, and launched him upon the full tide of narrative.

"Mr. Wildred was away when we first arrived at the House by the Lock,
sir," he went on, "but we should have made use of our search-warrant
without waiting for his return had not