good-bye--thank you for giving me a chance
with your man's invention."

Allerdyke found himself walking up Arundel Street before he had quite
realized that this curious interview was over. At the top he paused,
staring vacantly at the folk who passed and repassed along the Strand.

"I'd lay a pound to a penny that chap's all right," he muttered to
himself. "He's not a wrong 'un--unless he's damned deceitful! All the
same, he knows something! What? My conscience!--was there ever such a
confounded muddle in this world as this is!"

But the muddle was a deeper one within the next few minutes. He crossed
over to his hotel, and as he was entering he met Mrs. Marlow coming out,
fresh, dainty, charming, as usual. She stopped at sight of him and held
up the little hand-bag which hung from her wrist.

"Oh, Mr. Allerdyke!" she said, opening the bag and taking an envelope
from it. "I've something for you. See--here's the photograph your cousin
gave me. You were wrong, you see--there's no spot in it--it's a
particularly clear print. Look!"

In Allerdyke's big palm she laid the very photograph which, according to
all his reckoning, was that which Chettle had found within the cover of
Lydenberg's watch.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE POSSIBLE DEATH WARRANT

"Quite a clear print, you see," repeated Mrs. Marlow brightly. "No spot
there. You must have been thinking of another."

"Aye, just so," replied Allerdyke absentmindedly. "Another, yes, of
course. Aye, to be sure--you're right. No spot on that, certainly."

He was talking aimlessly, confusedly, as he turned the print over in his
hand, examining it back and front. And having no excuse for keeping it,
he handed it back with a keen look at its owner. What the devil, he asked
himself, was this mysterious woman playing at?

"I'm going to have this mounted and framed," said Mrs. Marlow, as she put
the photograph back in her bag and turned to go. "I misplaced it some
time ago and couldn't lay hands on it, but I came across it by accident
this morning, so now I'll take care of it."

She nodded, smiled, and went off into the sunlight outside, and
Allerdyke, more puzzled than ever, walked forward into the hotel and
towards the restaurant. At its door he met Fullaway, coming out, and in
his usual hurry.

Fullaway started at sight of Allerdyke, button-holed him, and led him
into a corner.

"Oh, I say, Allerdyke!" he said, in his bustling fashion. "Look here, a
word with you. Yo