nswer to my question; in all probability, I determined,
Dr. Damar Greefe or the Hawkins's, who were palpably his creatures,
acted as a barrier between the tradespeople and the missing lady of
the Park.

But what it could all portend was a problem beyond the power of my
imagination or deductive reasoning. If Lady Coverly had changed her
residence for some reason, with what object did the Eurasian continue
to lead every one in the neighborhood to suppose that she still
resided at Friar's Park?

It was all a hopeless tangle, and the more I thought about it the more
discouraged did I become. I seemed to get further, too, from that link
for which I sought--the link connecting the mystery with that other
which I always associated with the Red House. The luminous eyes
afforded the visible link; this I could not doubt. But what relation
to the death of Sir Marcus did the disappearance of Lady Burnham
Coverly bear? Secondly, what was Dr. Damar Greefe's place in the
scheme? And thirdly (the most appalling mystery of all) who or what
was the woman with the cat's eyes?

At this point in my meditations I discovered that I had arrived
before the Abbey Inn, now plunged in darkness, and believing that I
detected the sound of footsteps behind me I became eventually the
victim of a sort of panic which perhaps will be forgiven me under the
circumstances. For emerging from these unpleasant reflections and
hearing or believing that I heard sounds of pursuit from the lonely
moon-patched road behind, I know that I hurried forward to the side
door and silently prayed that I should find it unfastened as Martin
had assured me that it would be.

In this particular I was speedily reassured, for the door opened to my
touch--and I became conscious of a wish that there might be some means
of fastening it from within. However, I could find none, but hurrying
upstairs, I determined to take a precaution which hitherto I had not
adopted and that night to lock my bedroom door.

Entering the room, I fumbled for a box of matches in my pocket and
presently discovering them struck one and looked about me for the
candle which usually stood upon a little cabinet beside the bed.
To-night, however, it had been moved for some reason, and put over by
the window on the dressing-table. As I made this discovery the match
smoldered out, and at the moment I was about to strike another the
sound of footsteps which I had formerly detected grew louder and
nearer, so