d nothing to do with him, but in order to save
the girl embarrassment he waited until they opened a door. Foster
imagined it led to a music or drawing-room, but passed without looking
in, and going up a flight of stairs spent some time in his room,
studying the railway guide and a list of steamship sailings. As he
entered the corridor on his way back he saw the girl, who was now
alone, in front. He knew her by her dress and did not mean to overtake
her, but after she had gone a few paces she stopped to pick up
something she had dropped. Since it would look rather marked if he
waited, he went on and was close to her when she heard his steps and
glanced round with a start. Then he stopped as he saw she was the girl
he had first met at Hawick. Although he thought she was embarrassed,
she met him with a smile.

"It looks as if you had got tired of Edinburgh," she remarked. "Did
you stay there long?"

"No," said Foster bluntly. "But I wonder whether you did not know that
I had left?"

"How could I know?" she asked with a look of surprise that he thought
was well done. "Besides, why should I be interested?"

"You seemed to think it better that I should go away. Anyhow, you gave
me a useful hint, which perhaps warrants my doing as much for you."

She hesitated, glancing at an open door close by, and then moved
towards it as if she expected him to follow her. Foster did so and
found himself in a small drawing-room, where she sat down on a sofa and
waited for him to speak. Instead he stood opposite, pondering. The
girl was pretty and fashionably dressed, but he had ground for thinking
some of her friends or relatives were dangerous criminals. It did not,
however, follow that she took part in their plots, and although she
obviously knew something about what was going on, he did not believe
she knew it was connected with the tragedy at Gardner's Crossing. He
admitted that he was perhaps giving way to romantic sentiment, but he
was sorry for the girl and thought her Daly's victim. The fellow was
handsome and must have charm, since he had been able to influence
Carmen, who was strong-willed and clever.

"Well?" she said presently.

"I saw your name in the book, Miss Huntley, and know whom you came
with. I think you ought to go back to Edinburgh at once and must urge
you strongly not to go to Canada."

It was plain that she understood him, for the blood rushed into her
face and he saw that she felt some con