perly written out, my lord, and bring it
you in the morning."

"Can't you tell me now? Every moment lost is irretrievable in cases
like these."

"I am afraid, my lord, that I cannot tell you definitely now. There's
a dense fog outside--and----"

"The chauffeur's descriptions are vague," interposed Lord Radclyffe
with a sneer, "the eternal excuses for incompetence."

"My lord!" protested the man.

"All right! all right! No offence meant I assure you. You must pardon
an old man's irritability--the news you have brought me does not make
for evenness of temper. I rely on your department to clear this matter
up with the least possible scandal."

"I am afraid that scandal is inevitable," retorted the officer dryly,
for he still felt sore at Lord Radclyffe's ill-tempered thrust. "We
shall have to rake up a great deal of what might be unpleasant to many
parties."

"Why should it be unpleasant?"

"We shall have to know something of the murdered man's past, of his
associates before--before he was able to establish his claim to your
lordship's consideration."

"I have no doubt that the late Philip de Mountford had many
undesirable associates in the past," remarked Lord Radclyffe curtly.

The silence which followed was tantamount to a dismissal. The officer
rose to go. He felt nettled at the old man's obvious sneers: they had
been like a cold douche over his enthusiasm, for the case had already
drifted into his hands and it promised to be the most interesting and
most sensational criminal case of modern times.

"You have not," he said before taking his leave, "told me, my lord,
what you wish done about the body."

"Surely," replied Lord Radclyffe querulously, "it is too late now to
make any arrangements. What is the time?"

"Half past ten, my lord."

"Surely to-morrow morning we can discuss all that."

"Just as you wish, of course."

"To-morrow morning--as early as you like. My servants will be at home
then--the house will be ready--and I can make arrangements--or else
we'll wait, as you say, until after the inquest."

The sound of a bell broke the silence that ensued.

"You must excuse me," said his lordship dryly, "my servants are out,
and there's some one at the front door."

"I can hear footsteps below stairs, my lord," remarked the officer.

"Ah! I believe you're right. Those two blackguards must have come home
and I didn't know it. They do pretty much as they like."

Shuffling, uncertain footsteps