hurch?"

"You will not find any one to tell you at this time," the doctor
replied. "But, if you will leave me your address, I will send over to
the parsonage this evening and ask Mr. Wickham to turn it up in the
register, and let you know."

Monsieur Dupont delivered himself of profuse thanks. Five minutes later
he had taken leave of the old doctor, and was returning to the station
under the guidance of the sunburnt youth, who was obviously relieved
when the expedition terminated.

He slept peacefully until the train reached Paddington.

It was five o'clock when he returned to the Savoy. The girl, Jenny West,
was waiting for him. She was as white as death.

"They have charged him," she sobbed. "He is remanded for a week."

He laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Do not be afraid," he said. "He will be saved. I have given my
word--the word of Dupont--that he will be saved."

He sat down at his writing table, and wrote rapidly for several minutes.
He covered four or five sheets of paper, and placed them in an envelope.

"Here, mademoiselle," he said, rising, "are your instructions for
to-morrow morning. Do not read them until you are alone. A car will be
waiting for you here at ten o'clock in the morning. In the afternoon you
will be at liberty to visit Monsieur Layton. I shall expect to see you
here at one o'clock."

He bowed her out of the room. Half an hour later, he was on his way to
Streatham.

* * * * *

A grim expression settled on his face as the journey proceeded, yet it
was not altogether unmixed with pity. He was a man of ready sympathy.
The doctor's story had evidently moved him to view his task with a new
compassion.

As his car turned into De Vere Terrace, he became alert, and scrutinized
the houses closely. They were small semi-detached villas. He alighted in
front of number 35, passed up the carefully kept front garden, and
knocked at the door.

There was no response. He knocked again, several times, but the silence
of the house remained undisturbed. He left the door, and glanced in at
the front windows, but the room was so dark that he could discern
nothing. He walked round to the back. Through the uncurtained kitchen
windows he saw a fire in the range. It had almost burnt itself out.
There were cooking utensils on the table. Some pastry was rolled out on
a board. Apparently the household operations had been somewhat rudely
interrupted, and very hastily ab