oke from
Quest's lips. Craig had fallen sideways from his chair. There was an
ominous change in his face. Something seemed to have passed from the
atmosphere of the room, some tense and nameless quality. Quest moved
forward and laid his hand on Craig's heart. The girl was on her knees,
crying.

"Take her away," Quest whispered to Lenora.

"What about him?" French demanded, as Lenora led the girl from the room.

"He fought too hard," Quest said gravely. "He is dead. Professor,--"

They all looked around. The spot where he had been standing was empty. The
Professor had gone.

CHAPTER XVI

JUSTICE CHEATED

The first shock was over. Craig's body had been removed, and the girls had
taken Mary, half stunned with grief, to their room. French and Quest were
left alone.

"This is some disappointment," the former remarked gloomily.

"It is a disappointment," Quest said slowly, "which may clear the way to
bigger things."

"What's in your mind now?" French enquired.

Quest shook his head.

"A turmoil. First of all, where is the Professor?"

"Must have scooted right away home," French suggested. "He was looking
pretty sick all the time. Guess it must have been a powerful shock for
him, and he isn't so young as he used to be."

"Give me that paper of Craig's again," Quest asked, stretching out his
hand.

The Inspector produced the document from his inner pocket, and Quest,
stretching it out upon his knee, read it word for word.

"Never to communicate or to have anything to do with any one of the name
of Ashleigh, eh?" he remarked, as he handed it back again. "Rather a queer
provision, that, French."

"I've been thinking that myself," the Inspector admitted. "Seems to be
rather reversing the positions, doesn't it?"

Quest glanced at the clock.

"Well," he said, "if you're ready, Inspector, we'll be getting along."

"Where to?" French demanded.

Quest looked for a moment surprised. Just then Lenora entered the room.

"Are you going out?" she asked Quest.

He nodded.

"The Inspector and I are going to have a look for that black box," he told
her.

"Won't you want me?"

He shook his head.

"I think you girls have had as much as is good for you of this sort of
business," he declared grimly.

"But it's all over now," Lenora protested.

Quest buttoned up his coat and motioned to French to follow him.

"I'm not so sure," he said. "I'll 'phone if we want you, Lenora. We shall
be at the Profess