ou tell me
where he lives?"

The old woman shook her head emphatically.

"No, I can't, sir," she said. "I haven't any idea where he lives. And,
besides, he is mostly a stranger to me."

"He hasn't been here long, then?"

"No, sir. He came last autumn and, of course, I does for him like I do
for the other gentlemen. He stayed till about the end of November, then
he told me he had to go abroad for the winter. He has only been back
about a week."

Phillips thought his time was not being wasted. Everything appeared to
be going his way.

"I am very sorry," he said, "but, really, I must find him. It is most
awkward, seeing that he is a stranger to me. Would you mind telling me
what he is like? If you can give me a description of him I might make
inquiries in the neighbourhood. It is possible he may be in one of the
hotels close by playing billiards or something of that sort."

"Well, that's possible," the old woman said. "I know Mr. Jolly is fond
of a game of billiards, because my little boy has had to fetch him once
or twice. He is young and clean-shaven, looks like a boy almost till you
get close to him, and then you can see what a lot of wrinkles he has
round his eyes. He might easily be mistaken for an actor. Dresses very
well, he does, except he wears a steel watch-chain."

Phillips gave the old woman a shilling and departed. He had found out
all he was likely to discover. He had already moved towards the door
when a sudden thought struck him.

"Oh, by the way," he said, "I wish you would let me have the number of
your telephone. If I can't come here again I shall telephone Mr. Jolly
in the morning."

The old woman intimated that the number was on the top of the telephone,
and Phillips made a note of it. Then he went away, on the whole very
well satisfied with his afternoon's work. He had yet, however, to verify
a certain suspicion, and this he could not accomplish till late in the
evening. It was eight o'clock or more before he turned into a public
telephone call-office and rang up the number which he had copied in
Jolly's office. He was not surprised to find that he received no reply,
but it was not a reply he was after. What he really wanted was to get in
connexion with the Exchange. He managed this presently. It was growing
late, and there was no great pressure upon the office.

"I am sorry to trouble you," he said, "but I can't get anything from
this number. Can you tell me if Mr. Jolly has a wire betw