eral hours. It was
evidently some private matter and nothing whatever to do with the
business. When he had finished, he put some documents into a small
safe, locked them up, and, very much to my surprise, gave me the
key."

"This was long ago?"

"It was almost immediately after Mr. Rosario's murder," he replied.
"When he gave me the key, he told me that if anything unexpected
should happen to him, I was to open the safe and inspect the
documents. He particularly used the words 'If anything unexpected
should happen to me, or if I should disappear.'"

"You really believe, then," she asked, "that he had some idea in his
mind that something was likely to happen to him, or that he intended
to disappear?"

"His action proves it," Arnold reminded her. "So far as we know,
there is no earthly reason for his not having turned up at the
office this morning. This afternoon I shall open the safe."

"You mean that you will open it if you do not find him in the office
when you return?"

"He will not be there," Arnold said, decidedly.

Her eyes were filled with fear. He went on hastily.

"Perhaps I ought not to say that. I have nothing in the world to go
on. It is only just an idea of mine. It isn't that I am afraid
anything has happened to him, but I feel convinced, somehow, that we
shall not hear anything more of Mr. Weatherley for some time."

"You will open the safe, then, this afternoon?"

"I must," Arnold replied.

For several minutes neither of them spoke a word. Fenella made a
pretense at eating her luncheon. Arnold ate mechanically, his
thoughts striving in vain to focus themselves upon the immediate
question. It was she who ended the silence.

"What do you think you will find in those documents?"

"I have no idea," Arnold answered. "To tell you the truth," he went
on earnestly, "I was going to ask you whether you knew of anything
in his life or affairs which could explain this?"

"I am not sure that I understand you," she said.

"It seems a strange question," Arnold continued, "and yet it
presents itself. I was going to ask you whether you knew of any
reason whatsoever why Mr. Weatherley should voluntarily choose to go
into hiding?"

"You have something in your mind when you ask me a question like
this!" she said. "What should I know about it at all? What makes you
ask me?"

Then Arnold took his courage into both hands. Her eyes seemed to be
compelling him.

"What I am going to say," he began, "may s