his missing young lady, and she should by
any chance be close at hand, I should recommend you to induce Sir George
to let you search the room to which those footsteps lead."

"The library," Duncombe interrupted quickly. "Search it by all means, if
you like. I have done so myself already."

Spencer was facing the house.

"The library!" he remarked reflectively. "Ah!"

He stooped down to light a cigarette. Suddenly he felt Duncombe's hot
breath upon his cheek. In the momentary glow of the match he caught a
silhouette of a pale, angry face, whose eyes were flashing upon him.

"This isn't your affair, Spencer. Shut up!"

Spencer blew out the match deliberately. They both followed Lord Runton
to the library. Pelham was standing in the middle of the room. He had
the appearance of a man listening intently.

"George," he asked sharply, "what is on the north side of this room?"

"The wall!" Duncombe answered.

"And beyond?"

"A passage and the billiard-room."

Pelham seemed dissatisfied.

"I fancied," he muttered--"but I suppose it must have been fancy. Do the
women servants use that passage?"

"Of course! Upon my word," Duncombe added, with a nervous little laugh,
"you all seem to be trying to make my house into a Maskelyne and Cooke's
home of mystery. Let us go into the dining-room and have a whisky and
soda."

"Not for me, thanks," Lord Runton declared. "I must go back. The real
object of my coming here, Duncombe, was to see if the Mr. Spencer who
called at Runton Place to-day was really Mr. Jarvis Spencer, and if so
to ask him whether he would help me."

"To what extent, Lord Runton?" Spencer asked quietly.

"To the extent of recovering, or attempting to recover, the papers which
were stolen from the Baron Von Rothe," Lord Runton said. "The Baron was
a guest in my house, and I feel the occurrence very much. He will not
let me even mention the matter to the police, but I feel sure that he
could not object to Mr. Spencer's taking the matter in hand."

"I think you will find," Spencer said, "that Von Rothe has already
placed the matter in the hands of his own people. The German secret
service is pretty active over here, you know. I have come in contact
with it once or twice."

"Nevertheless, for my own satisfaction," Lord Runton continued, "I
should like the matter inquired into by you, Mr. Spencer."

"I am not quite sure whether I am free to help you or not," Spencer said
slowly. "May I come and see you