flashed open; again her mood had changed.

"Mr. Burroughs," she said, and there was almost a challenge in her tone,
"why do you ask me these things? You are a detective, you are here to
find out for yourself, not to ask others to find out. I am innocent of
my uncle's death, of course, but when you cast suspicion on the man
to whom I am betrothed, you cannot expect me to help you confirm that
suspicion. You have made me think by your remark about a man on a late
train that you refer to Mr. Hall. Do you?"

This was a change of base, indeed. I was being questioned instead of
doing the catechising myself. Very well; if it were my lady's will to
challenge me, I would meet her on her own ground.

"You took the hint very quickly," I said. "Had you thought of such a
possibility before?"

"No, nor do I now. I will not." Again she was the offended queen. "But
since you have breathed the suggestion, you may not count on any help
from me."

"Could you have helped me otherwise?" I said, detaining her as she swept
by.

To this she made no answer, but again her face wore a troubled
expression, and as she went slowly from the room, she left me with a
strong conviction that she knew far more about Gregory Hall's connection
with the matter than she had told me.

I sat alone for a few moments wondering what I had better do next.

I had about decided to go in search of Parmalee, and talk things over
with him, but I thought it would be better to see Louis first, and
settle up the matter of his rose more definitely. Accordingly I rang
the bell, and when the parlor maid answered it, I asked her to send both
Louis and Elsa to me in the library.

I could see at once that these two were not friendly toward each other,
and I hoped this fact would aid me in learning the truth from them.

"Now, Louis," I began, "you may as well tell me the truth about your
home coming last Tuesday night. In the first place, you must admit that
you were wearing in your coat one of the yellow roses which had been
sent to Miss Lloyd."

"No, no, indeed!" declared Louis, giving Elsa a threatening glance, as
if forbidding her to contradict him.

"Nonsense, man," I said; "don't stand there and tell useless lies. It
will not help you. The best thing you can do for yourself and for all
concerned is to tell the truth. And, moreover, if you don't tell it to
me now, you will have to tell it to Mr. Goodrich, later. Elsa gave you a
yellow rose and you wore it away