heard Mr.
Delamere shouting, I ran back to the house, and found them on the
lawn."

The inspector shot a keen glance at her.

"Did you know Miss Manderson well?"

"I had only met her three or four times."

"I suppose--being one of the most beautiful women on the American stage,
and about to appear for the first time in London--you heard her a good
deal talked about?"

"Yes." Her voice was just perceptibly harder. "People were taking great
interest in her."

"Did you hear her private affairs, and mode of life, discussed at any
time?"

"No."

"Or the name of James Layton, the millionaire philanthropist, mentioned
in conjunction with her's?"

"Never."

"Thank you, madam. I need not trouble you any further. Will you kindly
leave me your address, in case I should have to ask you for any more
information?"

He wrote the address down, and bowed her out.

CHAPTER IX

THE DANSEUSE

"Madame Krashoff," summoned the inspector.

The danseuse was in a condition of the utmost distress.

"_Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu!_" she wept.

"Please calm yourself, madame," the inspector requested patiently.

"I ken nothin' o' the creeme!" she sobbed thoughtlessly.

"I am sure of that," he declared gravely. "I merely wish to establish
the movements of every one here. With whom did you pass the time after
you went out into the garden until the alarm was given?"

"Wi' M'soo Gluckstein," she whimpered.

"All the time?"

"N-no."

"How much of the time?"

She became more collected.

"He said to me something that made me angry," she replied, with a touch
of viciousness. "I walk away from him. Then it rain, and I overtook him
as I go back to the house."

"How long were you away from him?" the inspector asked.

"_Ma foi_, I cannot tell. Maybe ten minutes."

"Did you see any one else?"

"No."

"In what part of the garden were you when you left him?"

"Behind the tennis courts."

"That is some way from the river?"

"Yes, yes--ver' far away."

"Thank you, madame."

CHAPTER X

MR. GLUCKSTEIN

The financier was extremely agitated, and tried to shake hands with the
inspector.

"Mr. Gluckstein, I understand from Madame Krashoff that you were with
her in the garden for the greater part of the time before the crime was
discovered."

"I wath," the financier quivered--"indeed I wath, inthpector."

"Then she left you for about ten minutes?"

"Not tho much ath ten minutes," corrected the financier has