esult of my discovery that you had been robbing the firm for years," he
growled, "and I suppose everybody else in the firm would say the same as
you--how extraordinary!"

"I daresay they would, sir," said Mr. Milburgh, his old smile back, the
twinkle again returning to his eyes, and his hands rubbing together in
ceaseless ablutions. "It would sound extraordinary, and it would be
extraordinary, and nobody here would be more surprised than the
unfortunate victim--ha! ha!"

"Perhaps not," said Lyne coldly. "Only I want to say a few words in your
presence, and I would like you to give them every attention. You have
been complaining to me for a month past," he said speaking with
deliberation, "about small sums of money being missing from the cashier's
office."

It was a bold thing to say, and in many ways a rash thing. He was
dependent for the success of his hastily-formed plan, not only upon
Milburgh's guilt, but upon Milburgh's willingness to confess his guilt.
If the manager agreed to stand sponsor to this lie, he admitted his own
peculations, and Tarling, to whom the turn of the conversation had at
first been unintelligible, began dimly to see the drift it was taking.

"I have complained that sums of money have been missing for the past
month?" repeated Milburgh dully.

The smile had gone from his lips and eyes. His face was haggard--he was a
man at bay.

"That is what I said," said Lyne watching him. "Isn't that the fact?"

There was a long pause, and presently Milburgh nodded.

"That is the fact, sir," he said in a low voice.

"And you have told me that you suspected Miss Rider of defalcations?"

Again the pause and again the man nodded.

"Do you hear?" asked Lyne triumphantly.

"I hear," said Tarling quietly. "Now what do you wish me to do? Isn't
this a matter for the police? I mean the regular police."

Lyne frowned.

"The case has to be prepared first," he said. "I will give you full
particulars as to the girl's address and her habits, and it will be your
business to collect such information as will enable us to put the case in
the hands of Scotland Yard."

"I see," said Tarling and smiled again. Then he shook his head. "I'm
afraid I can't come into this case, Mr. Lyne."

"Can't come in?" said Lyne in astonishment. "Why not?"

"Because it's not my kind of job," said Tarling. "The first time I met
you I had a feeling that you were leading me to one of the biggest cases
I had ever undertaken. It s