er withdrew, and Trent
wandered round the little room with his hands at his back. Sooner than
he had expected, a small neat figure in black appeared quietly before
him.

The lady's maid, with her large brown eyes, had taken favourable notice
of Trent from a window when he had crossed the lawn, and had been hoping
desperately that the resolver of mysteries (whose reputation was as
great below-stairs as elsewhere) would send for her. For one thing,
she felt the need to make a scene; her nerves were overwrought. But her
scenes were at a discount with the other domestics, and as for Mr Murch,
he had chilled her into self-control with his official manner. Trent,
her glimpse of him had told her, had not the air of a policeman, and at
a distance he had appeared sympathique.

As she entered the room, however, instinct decided for her that any
approach to coquetry would be a mistake, if she sought to make a good
impression at the beginning. It was with an air of amiable candour,
then, that she said, 'Monsieur desire to speak with me.' She added
helpfully, 'I am called Celestine.'

'Naturally,' said Trent with businesslike calm. 'Now what I want you
to tell me, Celestine, is this. When you took tea to your mistress
yesterday morning at seven o'clock, was the door between the two
bedrooms--this door here--open?'

Celestine became intensely animated in an instant. 'Oh yes!' she
said, using her favourite English idiom. 'The door was open as always,
monsieur, and I shut it as always. But it is necessary to explain.
Listen! When I enter the room of madame from the other door in
there--ah! but if monsieur will give himself the pain to enter the other
room, all explains itself.' She tripped across to the door, and urged
Trent before her into the larger bedroom with a hand on his arm. 'See! I
enter the room with the tea like this. I approach the bed. Before I come
quite near the bed, here is the door to my right hand--open always--so!
But monsieur can perceive that I see nothing in the room of Monsieur
Manderson. The door opens to the bed, not to me who approach from down
there. I shut it without seeing in. It is the order. Yesterday it was
as ordinary. I see nothing of the next room. Madame sleep like an
angel--she see nothing. I shut the door. I place the plateau--I open the
curtains--I prepare the toilette--I retire--voila!' Celestine paused for
breath and spread her hands abroad.

Trent, who had followed her movements and gesti