d taken place that morning, and it was a
reasonable presumption that if she and Rayner were in league she would
have communicated with him on leaving Fullaway's office, and that they
would meet again somewhere before the day was over.

"The only thing now," said Appleyard, when the two Gaffneys had been
presented with funds sufficient to carry each through all possible
immediate emergencies, "is to arrange for a meeting to-night. There are
two matters we want to be certain about. First, if Albert Gaffney
witnesses any meeting between Rayner and Miss Slade, and, in that case,
if he can tell us where they go and what they do. Second, if they both
return, or either of them returns to the Pompadour to-night. So it had
better be near the Pompadour--somewhere in that district, anyhow. Can you
suggest any place?" he continued, turning to the chauffeur. "You know
that district well, don't you?"

"Tell you the very spot, sir," answered Gaffney promptly. "Lancaster Gate
itself, sir. Close by there, convenient pub, sir--stands back a bit from
the road. Bar-parlour, sir--quiet corners. What time, sir?"

Appleyard fixed half-past eleven. By that time, he said, he should know
if Mr. Rayner and Miss Slade had returned to the Pompadour; by that time,
too, Albert Gaffney would be in a position to report his own doings and
progress. And so the two Gaffneys went off on their respective missions,
and Allerdyke looked at his manager and made a grimace.

"It's like a lot of blind men seeking for something they couldn't see if
it was shoved under their very noses, Ambler!" he said cynically. "Is it
any good?"

"Maybe," replied Appleyard. "That Albert Gaffney's a smart chap--he'll
not lose sight of Rayner once he begins to track him. And I'm certain as
certain can be that if Miss Slade's in a hole it's Rayner she'll turn to.
Well--we can only wait now. What're you going to do, Mr. Allerdyke?"

"Let's have a bit of a relief," answered, Allerdyke suddenly. "Let's dine
together somewhere and go to a theatre or something until it's time to
keep this appointment. And not a word more of the whole thing till then!"

"You forget that I've got to look in at the Pompadour last thing to see
if those two are there as usual," remarked Appleyard. "But that'll only
take a few minutes--I can call there on our way to the rendezvous. All
right--no more of it until half-past eleven, then."

Albert Gaffney was already in a quiet corner of the bar-parlour o