had never come into his life. It was a hypothetical
condition which he had never even considered. He had known men to fall in
love, just as he had known men to suffer from malaria or yellow fever,
without considering that the same experience might overtake him. A shy,
reticent man, behind that hard mask was a diffidence unsuspected by his
closest friends.

So that the possibility of being in love with Odette Rider disturbed his
mind, because he lacked sufficient conceit to believe that such a passion
could be anything but hopeless. That any woman could love him he could
not conceive. And now her very presence, the fragrant nearness of her, at
once soothed and alarmed him. Here was a detective virtually in charge of
a woman suspected of murder--and he was frightened of her! He knew the
warrant in his pocket would never be executed, and that Scotland Yard
would not proceed with the prosecution, because, though Scotland Yard
makes some big errors, it does not like to have its errors made public.

The journey was all too short, and it was not until the train was running
slowly through a thin fog which had descended on London that he returned
to the subject of the murder, and only then with an effort.

"I am going to take you to an hotel for the night," he said, "and in the
morning I will ask you to come with me to Scotland Yard to talk to the
Chief."

"Then I am not arrested?" she smiled.

"No, I don't think you're arrested." He smiled responsively. "But I'm
afraid that you are going to be asked a number of questions which may be
distressing to you. You see, Miss Rider, your actions have been very
suspicious. You leave for the Continent under an assumed name, and
undoubtedly the murder was committed in your flat."

She shivered.

"Please, please don't talk about that," she said in a low voice.

He felt a brute, but he knew that she must undergo an examination at the
hands of men who had less regard for her feelings.

"I do wish you would be frank with me," he pleaded. "I am sure I could
get you out of all your troubles without any difficulty."

"Mr. Lyne hated me," she said. "I think I touched him on his tenderest
spot--poor man--his vanity. You yourself know how he sent that criminal
to my flat in order to create evidence against me."

He nodded.

"Did you ever meet Stay before?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"I think I have heard of him," she said. "I know that Mr. Lyne was
interested in a criminal, an