"With best wishes,

"Yours,

"SANFORD QUEST."

He left the sheet of paper upon the desk and, ringing the bell, sent for
Lenora. She appeared in a few moments and came over to his side.

"What is it, Mr. Quest?" she asked.

He gave her the letter without remark. She read it through and, turning
slowly around, looked at him expectantly.

"How's that seem to you?" he asked, reaching out his hand for a cigar.

"Very sensible indeed," she replied.

"It's no sort of life, this, for a married man," Quest declared. "You
agree with me there, don't you, Lenora?"

"Yes!" she admitted, a little faintly.

Quest lit his cigar deliberately. Then he enclosed the letter in an
envelope and addressed it to Inspector French.

"You'd better deliver this to the Inspector," he said, "in case he doesn't
call round here on his way out."

He handed her the note. For a moment she looked at him, then she turned
quickly away.

"He shall have it at once," she said in a low tone.

Quest watched her cross the room. She opened the door and passed out
without a backward glance. Then he shrugged his shoulders, hesitated for a
moment, and followed her. He heard the door of her apartment on the next
floor close, however, and made his way to the laboratory. He entered the
room softly and paused upon the threshold. His presence was altogether
unobserved by the two people who were standing at the other end of the
apartment.

"I say, Miss Laura," the Inspector was saying, "this has got to come
sometime or other. Why don't you make up your mind to it? I'm no great
hand at love-making, but I'm the right sort of man for you and I think you
know it."

"This," Quest murmured to himself, "is where Laura boxes the Inspector's
ears!"

Nothing of the sort happened, however. There was a queer, a mystifying
change in Laura's expression. She was looking down at the floor. Suddenly
her face was hidden in her hands. The Inspector threw his arms around her.

"That's all the answer I want," he declared.

Quest stole softly away. As he regained the door of his study, Lenora,
dressed for the street, hurried out. She tried to pass him but he laid his
hand upon her shoulder.

"I was just going round to Mr. French's office," she explained.

"That's all right," Quest replied. "The Inspector's here. You can leave
the note upon the table. Hi, Parkins," he called out to his secretary in
the next room, "get my hat and coat. Come back a moment,