ahead," the commissioner told his driver. The second cab followed the
one-horse coupe in which Muller was seated. They drove first to No. 14
Cathedral Lane, where Muller told Berner to come with him. He found Mr.
Fellner ready to go also, and it was with great difficulty that he could
dissuade the invalid, who was greatly fatigued by his morning visit to
the police station, from joining them.

The carriages then drove off more quickly than before. It was now quite
dark, a gloomy stormy winter evening. Muller had taken his place on the
box of his cab and sat peering out into the darkness. In spite of the
sharp wind and the ice that blew against his face the detective could
see that they were going out from the more closely built up portions of
the city, and were now in new streets with half-finished houses. Soon
they passed even these and were outside of the city. The way was lonely
and dreary, bordered by wooden fences on both sides. Muller looked
sharply to right and to left.

"You should have become alarmed here," he said to the driver, pointing
to one part of the fence.

"Why?" asked the man.

"Because this is where the window was broken."

"I didn't know that--until I got home."

"H'm; you must have been nicely drunk."

The driver murmured something in his beard.

"Stop here, this is your turn, down that street," Muller said a few
moments later, as the driver turned the other way.

"How do you know that?" asked the man, surprised.

"None of your business."

"This street will take us there just the same."

"Probably, but I prefer to go the way you went yesterday."

"Very well, it's all the same to me." They were silent again, only
the wind roared around them, and somewhere in the distance a fog horn
moaned.

It was now six o'clock. The snow threw out a mild light which could not
brighten the deep darkness around them. About half an hour later the
first cab halted. "There's the house up there. Shall I drive to the
garden gate?"

"No, stop here." Muller was already on the ground. "Are there any dogs
here?" he asked.

"I didn't hear any yesterday."

"That's of no value. You didn't seem to hear much of anything
yesterday." Muller opened the door of the cab and helped Berner out. The
old man was trembling. "That was a dreadful drive!" he stammered.

"I hope you will be happier on the drive back," said the detective and
added, "You stay here with the commissioner now."

The latter had already left