r face lost something of its drawn expression. "O I am glad; he will
do something."

Subduing my indignation at this back thrust, I employed my time in
taking note of such details as had escaped my previous attention. They
were not many. The open writing-desk--in which, however I found no
letters or written documents of any kind, only a few sheets of paper,
with pen, ink, etc.; the brush and hairpins scattered on the bureau as
though the girl had been interrupted while arranging her hair (if she
had been interrupted); and the absence of any great pile of work such as
one would expect to see in a room set apart for sewing, were all I could
discover. Not much to help us, in case this was to prove an affair of
importance as I began to suspect.

With Mr. Gryce's arrival, however, things soon assumed a better shape.
He came to the basement door, was ushered in by your humble servant, had
the whole matter as far as I had investigated it, at his finger-ends in
a moment, and was up-stairs and in that room before I, who am called the
quickest man in the force as you all know, could have time to determine
just what difference his presence would make to me in a pecuniary way in
event of Mrs. Daniels' promises amounting to anything. He did not remain
there long, but when he came down I saw that his interest was in no wise
lessened.

"What kind of a looking girl was this?" he asked, hurrying up to Mrs.
Daniels who had withdrawn into a recess in the lower hall while all this
was going on. "Describe her to me, hair, eyes, complexion, etc.; you
know."

"I--I--don't know as I can," she stammered reluctantly, turning very
red in the face. "I am a poor one for noticing. I will call one of the
girls, I--" She was gone before we realized she had not finished her
sentence.

"Humph!" broke from Mr. Gryce's lips as he thoughtfully took down a vase
that stood on a bracket near by and looked into it.

I did not venture a word.

When Mrs. Daniels came back she had with her a trim-looking girl of
prepossessing appearance.

"This is Fanny," said she; "she knows Emily well, being in the habit of
waiting on her at table; she will tell you what you want to hear. I
have explained to her," she went on, nodding towards Mr. Gryce with a
composure such as she had not before displayed; "that you are looking
for your niece who ran away from home some time ago to go into some sort
of service."

"Certainly, ma'am," quoth that gentleman, bowing with