d that."

"Faire tells me that he's not expected to live," said Mr. Briggerland.
He rubbed his bald head irritably. "I wonder if that lunatic is going
to talk?"

"What does it matter if he does?" said the girl impatiently.

"You said the other day----" he began.

"The other day it mattered, my dear father. To-day nothing matters very
much. I think we have got well out of it. I ignored all the lessons
which my textbook teaches when I entrusted work to other hands. Jaggs,"
she said softly.

"Eh?" said the father.

"I'm repeating a well-beloved name," she smiled and rose, folding her
serviette. "I am going for a long run in the country. Would you like to
come? Mordon is very enthusiastic about the new car, the bill for which,
by the way, came in this morning. Have we any money?"

"A few thousands," said her father, rubbing his chin. "Jean, we shall
have to sell something unless things brighten."

Jean's lips twitched, but she said nothing.

On her way to the open road she called at Cavendish Mansions, and was
neither surprised nor discomfited to discover that Jack Glover was
there.

"My dear," she said, warmly clasping both the girl's hands in hers, "I
was so shocked when I read the news! How terrible it must have been for
you."

Lydia was looking pale, and there were dark shadows under her eyes, but
she treated the matter cheerfully.

"I've just been trying to explain to Mr. Glover what happened.
Unfortunately, the wonderful Jaggs is not here. He knows more about it
than I, for I collapsed in the most feminine way."

"How did he get in--I mean this madman?" asked the girl.

"Through the door."

It was Jack who answered.

"It is the last way in the world a lunatic would enter a flat, isn't it?
He came in with a key, and he was brought here by somebody who struck a
match to make sure it was the right number."

"He might have struck the match himself," said Jean, "but you're so
clever that you would not say a thing like that unless you had proof."

"We found two matches in the hall outside," said Jack, "and when Dr.
Thun was searched no matches were found on him, and I have since learnt
that, like most homicidal lunatics, he had a horror of fire in any form.
The doctor to whom I have been talking is absolutely sure that he would
not have struck the match himself. Oh, by the way, Miss Briggerland,
your father met this unfortunate man. I understand he paid a visit to
the asylum a few days ago?"

"Yes,