gh, and began to fold it up again. In the action
her eye caught sight of two consecutive advertisements on the cover,
one relating to some lecture on Art, and addressed to members of the
Institute of Architects. The other emanated from the same source, but
was addressed to the public, and stated that the exhibition of drawings
at the Institute's rooms would close at the end of that week.

Her eye lighted up. She sent Cytherea back to the hotel in a cab, then
turned round by Piccadilly into Bond Street, and proceeded to the rooms
of the Institute. The secretary was sitting in the lobby. After making
her payment, and looking at a few of the drawings on the walls, in the
company of three gentlemen, the only other visitors to the exhibition,
she turned back and asked if she might be allowed to see a list of the
members. She was a little connected with the architectural world, she
said, with a smile, and was interested in some of the names.

'Here it is, madam,' he replied, politely handing her a pamphlet
containing the names.

Miss Aldclyffe turned the leaves till she came to the letter M. The name
she hoped to find there was there, with the address appended, as was the
case with all the rest.

The address was at some chambers in a street not far from Charing Cross.
'Chambers,' as a residence, had always been assumed by the lady to imply
the condition of a bachelor. She murmured two words, 'There still.'

Another request had yet to be made, but it was of a more noticeable kind
than the first, and might compromise the secrecy with which she wished
to act throughout this episode. Her object was to get one of the
envelopes lying on the secretary's table, stamped with the die of the
Institute; and in order to get it she was about to ask if she might
write a note.

But the secretary's back chanced to be turned, and he now went towards
one of the men at the other end of the room, who had called him to ask
some question relating to an etching on the wall. Quick as thought, Miss
Aldclyffe stood before the table, slipped her hand behind her, took one
of the envelopes and put it in her pocket.

She sauntered round the rooms for two or three minutes longer, then
withdrew and returned to her hotel.

Here she cut the Knapwater advertisement from the paper, put it into the
envelope she had stolen, embossed with the society's stamp, and directed
it in a round clerkly hand to the address she had seen in the list of
members' names