lf," Sir Henry reflected.

"Now you come to mention the matter, sir," the inspector continued,
"I was up at the hotel this afternoon, and I saw some luggage about
addressed to a name somewhat similar to that."

"Probably sent on in advance, eh?"

"There could be no other way, sir," the inspector replied, "unless the
registration paper has been mislaid. I'll step up to the hotel this
evening and make sure."

"You'll oblige me very much, if you will. By Jove," Sir Henry added,
looking towards the door, "I'd no idea it was so late!"

Philippa, who had changed her travelling dress for a plain black net
gown, was standing in the doorway. She looked at the inspector, and for
a moment the little colour which she had seemed to disappear.

"Is anything the matter?" she asked breathlessly.

"Nothing in the world, my dear," her husband assured her. "I am
frightfully sorry I'm so late. Jimmy stayed some time, and then the
inspector here looked in about our lights. Just a little more care in
this room at night, he thinks. We'll see to it, Inspector."

"I am very much obliged, sir," the man replied. "Sorry to be under the
necessity of mentioning it."

Sir Henry opened the door.

"You'll find your own way out, won't you?" he begged. "I'm a little
late."

The inspector saluted and withdrew. Sir Henry glanced round.

"I won't be ten minutes, Philippa," he promised. "I had no idea it was
so late."

"Come here one moment, please," she insisted.

He came back into the room and stood on the other side of the small
table near which she had paused.

"What is it, dear?" he enquired. "We are going to leave our talk till
after dinner, aren't we?"

She looked him in the face. There was an anxious light in her eyes, and
she was certainly not herself. "Of course! I only wanted to know--it
seemed to me that you broke off in what you were saying to the
inspector, as I came into the room. Are you sure that it was the lights
he came around about? There isn't anything else wrong, is there?"

"What else could there be?" he asked wonderingly.

"I have no idea," she replied, with well-simulated indifference. "I was
only asking you whether there was anything else?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing!"

She threw herself into an easy-chair and picked up a magazine.

"Thank you," she said. "Do hurry, please. I have a new cook and she
asked particularly whether we were punctual people."

"Six minutes will see me through it," Sir Henry