Greeb, that I suspect the assassin
of Mr. Vrain entered through Mrs. Bensusan's house, and so got into the
yard of No. 13."

"Lord!" cried Miss Greeb, taken by surprise. "You don't say, sir, that
Mr. Wrent is a murdering villain, steeped in gore?"

"No! No!" replied Lucian, smiling at this highly-coloured description.
"Do not jump to conclusions, Miss Greeb. So far as I am aware, this Mr.
Wrent you speak of is innocent. Do you know Mrs. Bensusan and her house
well?"

"I've visited both several times, Mr. Denzil."

"Well, then, tell me," continued the barrister, "is the house built with
a full frontage like those in this square? I mean, to gain Mrs.
Bensusan's back yard is it necessary to go through Mrs. Bensusan's
house?"

"No," replied Miss Greeb, shutting her eyes to conjure up the image of
her friend's premises. "You can go round the back through the side
passage which leads in from Jersey Road."

"H'm!" said Lucian in a dissatisfied tone. "That complicates matters."

"How so, sir?" demanded the curious landlady.

"Never mind just now, Miss Greeb. Do you think you could draw me a plan
of this passage of Mrs. Bensusan's house, and of No. 13, with the yards
between?"

"I never could sketch," said Miss Greeb regretfully, "and I am no
artist, Mr. Denzil, but I think I can do what you want."

"Here is a sheet of paper and a pencil. Will you sketch me the houses as
clearly as you can?"

With much reflection and nibbling of the pencil, and casting of her eyes
up to the ceiling to aid her memory, Miss Greeb in ten minutes produced
the required sketch.

"There you are, Mr. Denzil," said Miss Greeb, placing this work of art
before the barrister, "that's as good as I can draw."

"It is excellent, Miss Greeb," replied Lucian, examining the plan. "I
see that anyone can get into Mrs. Bensusan's yard through the side
passage."

"Oh, yes; but I don't think a person could without being seen by Mrs.
Bensusan or Rhoda."

"Who is Rhoda?"

"The servant. She's as sharp as a needle, but an idle slut, for all
that, Mr. Denzil. They say she's a gypsy of some kind."

"Is the gate of this passage locked at night?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then what is to prevent any one coming in under cover of darkness and
climbing the fence? He would escape then being seen by the landlady and
her servant."

"I daresay; but he'd be seen climbing over the fence from the back
windows of the houses on each side of No. 13."

"Not if