"That is to say M. Gurn went away a week after you last cleaned the
place up?"

"Yes, sir."

Juve changed the subject, and pointed to the corpse.

"Tell me, madame, did you know that person?"

The concierge fought down her nervousness and for the first time looked
at the unfortunate victim with a steady gaze.

"I have never seen him before," she said, with a little shudder.

"And so, when that gentleman came up here, you did not notice him?" said
the inspector gently.

"No, I did not notice him," she declared, and then went on as if
answering some question which occurred to her own mind. "And I wonder I
didn't, for people very seldom enquired for M. Gurn; of course when the
lady was with him M. Gurn was not at home to anybody. This--this dead
man must have come straight up himself."

Juve nodded, and was about to continue his questioning when the bell
rang.

"Open the door," said Juve to the concierge, and he followed her to the
entrance of the flat, partly fearing to find some intruder there, partly
hoping to see some unexpected person whose arrival might throw a little
light upon the situation.

At the opened door Juve saw a young man of about twenty-five, an obvious
Englishman with clear eyes and close-cropped hair. With an accent that
further made his British origin unmistakable, the visitor introduced
himself:

"I am Mr. Wooland, manager of the Paris branch of the South Steamship
Company. It seems that I am wanted at M. Gurn's flat on the fifth floor
of this house, by desire of the police."

Juve came forward.

"I am much obliged to you for putting yourself to this inconvenience,
sir: allow me to introduce myself: M. Juve, an Inspector from the
Criminal Investigation Department. Please come in."

Solemn and impassive, Mr. Wooland entered the room; a side glance
suddenly showed him the open trunk and the dead body, but not a muscle
of his face moved. Mr. Wooland came of a good stock, and had all that
admirable self-possession which is the strength of the powerful
Anglo-Saxon race. He looked at the inspector in somewhat haughty
silence, waiting for him to begin.

"Will you kindly let me know, sir, the instructions your firm had with
regard to the forwarding of the baggage which you sent for to this flat
of M. Gurn's this morning?"

"Four days ago, Inspector," said the young man, "on the 14th of December
to be precise, the London mail brought us a letter in which Lord
Beltham, who had been a clie