nly person who could get at it
was Ling Chu. There is the second and more important fact imputing
motive, that Ling Chu had every reason to hate Thornton Lyne, the man who
had indirectly been responsible for his sister's death. I have been
thinking the matter over and I now recall that Ling Chu was unusually
silent after he had seen Lyne. He has admitted to me that he has been to
Lyne's Store and in fact has been pursuing inquiries there. We happened
to be discussing the possibility of Miss Rider committing the murder and
Ling Chu told me that Miss Rider could not drive a motor-car and when I
questioned him as to how he knew this, he told me that he had made
several inquiries at the Store. This I knew nothing about.

"Here is another curious fact," Tarling went on. "I have always been
under the impression that Ling Chu did not speak English, except a few
words of 'pigeon' that Chinamen pick up through mixing with foreign
devils. Yet he pushed his inquiries at Lyne's Store amongst the
employees, and it is a million to one against his finding any shop-girl
who spoke Cantonese!"

"I'll put a couple of men on to watch him," said Whiteside, but Tarling
shook his head.

"It would be a waste of good men," he said, "because Ling Chu could lead
them just where he wanted to. I tell you he is a better sleuth than any
you have got at Scotland Yard, and he has an absolute gift for fading out
of the picture under your very nose. Leave Ling Chu to me, I know the way
to deal with him," he added grimly.

"The Little Daffodil!" said Whiteside thoughtfully, repeating the phrase
which Tarling had quoted. "That was the Chinese girl's name, eh? By Jove!
It's something more than a coincidence, don't you think, Tarling?"

"It may be or may not be," said Tarling; "there is no such word as
daffodil in Chinese. In fact, I am not so certain that the daffodil is
a native of China at all, though China's a mighty big place. Strictly
speaking the girl was called 'The Little Narcissus,' but as you say, it
may be something more than a coincidence that the man who insulted
her, is murdered whilst her brother is in London."

They had crossed the broad roadway as they were speaking and had passed
into Hyde Park. Tarling thought whimsically that this open space
exercised the same attraction on him as it did upon Mr. Milburgh.

"What were you going to see me about?" he asked suddenly, remembering
that Whiteside had been on his way to the hotel when th