hadn't an enemy in the world."

The physician pointed downwards to the revolver. Then he unfastened once
more the dead man's waistcoat, opened his shirt and indicated a small
blue mark just over his heart.

"That is how he died," he said. "It must have been instantaneous."

Time seemed to beat out its course in leaden seconds whilst they waited
for the superintendent from Scotland Yard. Nigel at first stood still
for some moments. From outside came the cheerful but muffled roar of the
London streets, the hooting of motor horns, the rumbling of wheels, the
measured footfall of the passing multitude. A boy went by, whistling;
another passed, calling hoarsely the news from the afternoon papers. A
muffin man rang his bell, a small boy clattered his stick against the
area bailing. The whole world marched on, unmoved and unnoticing. In
this sombre apartment alone tragedy reigned in sinister silence. On the
sofa, Lord Dorminster, who only half an hour ago had seemed to be in
the prime of life and health, lay dead.

Nigel moved towards the writing-table and stood looking at it in wonder.
The code book still remained, but there was not the slightest sign of
any manuscript or paper of any sort. He even searched the drawers of the
desk without result. Every trace of Atcheson's dispatch and Lord
Dorminster's transcription of it had disappeared!

CHAPTER III

On a certain day some weeks after the adjourned inquest and funeral of
Lord Dorminster, Nigel obtained a long-sought-for interview with the
Right Honourable Mervin Brown, who had started life as a factory
inspector and was now Prime Minister of England. The great man received
his visitor with an air of good-natured tolerance.

"Heard of you from Scotland Yard, haven't I, Lord Dorminster?" he said,
as he waved him to a seat. "I gather that you disagreed very strongly
with the open verdict which was returned at the inquest upon your
uncle?"

"The verdict was absolutely at variance with the facts," Nigel declared.
"My uncle was murdered, and a secret report of certain doings on the
continent, which he was decoding at the time, was stolen."

"The medical evidence scarcely bears out your statement," Mr. Mervin
Brown pointed out dryly, "nor have the police been able to discover how
any one could have obtained access to the room, or left it, without
leaving some trace of their visit behind. Further, there are no
indications of a robbery having been attempted."

"I