he letter for to the
Melbourne Club."

"Oh, 'im?" said Sal, a sudden light breaking over her wan face. "I
never knowd his name afore."

Calton nodded complacently.

"I knew you didn't," he said, "that's why you didn't ask for him at the
Club."

"She never told me 'is name," said Sal, jerking her head in the
direction of the bed.

"Then whom did she ask you to bring to her?" asked Calton, eagerly.

"No one," replied the girl. "This was the way of it. On that night she
was orfil ill, an' I sat beside 'er while gran' was asleep."

"I was drunk," broke in gran', fiercely, "none of yer lies; I was
blazin' drunk."

"An' ses she to me, she ses," went on the girl, indifferent to her
grandmother's interruption, "'Get me some paper an' a pencil, an' I'll
write a note to 'im, I will.' So I goes an' gits 'er what she arsks fur
out of gran's box."

"Stole it, cuss ye," shrieked the old hag, shaking her fist.

"Hold your tongue," said Kilsip, in a peremptory tone.

Mother Guttersnipe burst into a volley of oaths, and having run rapidly
through all she knew, subsided into a sulky silence.

"She wrote on it," went on Sal, "an' then arsked me to take it to the
Melbourne Club an' give it to 'im. Ses I, 'Who's 'im?' Ses she, 'It's
on the letter; don't you arsk no questions an' you won't 'ear no lies,
but give it to 'im at the Club, an' wait for 'im at the corner of
Bourke Street and Russell Street.' So out I goes, and gives it to a
cove at the Club, an' then 'e comes along, an' ses 'e, 'Take me to
'er,' and I tooked 'im."

"And what like was the gentleman?"

"Oh, werry good lookin'," said Sal. "Werry tall, with yeller 'air an'
moustache. He 'ad party clothes on, an' a masher coat, an' a soft 'at."

"That's Fitzgerald right enough," muttered Calton. "And what did he do
when he came?"

"He goes right up to 'er, and she ses, 'Are you 'e?' and 'e ses, 'I
am.' Then ses she, 'Do you know what I'm a-goin' to tell you?' an' 'e
says, 'No.' Then she ses, 'It's about 'er;' and ses 'e, lookin' very
white, ''Ow dare you 'ave 'er name on your vile lips?' an' she gits up
an' screeches, 'Turn that gal out, an' I'll tell you;' an' 'e takes me
by the arm, an' ses 'e, ''Ere git out,' an' I gits out, an' that's all
I knows."

"And how long was he with her?" asked Calton, who had been listening
attentively.

"'Bout arf-a-hour," answered Sal. "I takes 'im back to Russell Street
'bout twenty-five minutes to two, 'cause I looked at the c