of each, as he mentioned his name.

Sheffield bowed awkwardly. For he knew that he stood in the presence of
the undisputed head of his profession--the first detective in Europe.

"You have not left the front door unguarded, M'sieur the Inspector?"
inquired Lemage sharply.

"No, Mr. Lemage," snapped Sheffield, "I have not. My man Dawson is
there, with an Agency man, too."

"Then we surround completely the room in which he is," declared Lemage.

Such was the case, as a glance at the following plan will show.

[Illustration]

"There are, then, three ways," said Lemage. "We may break into the front
room from here, or from the room where is m'sieur your colleague. There
is, no doubt, a door corresponding to this one. The other way is to go
in by the window of that front room, for I have made the observation
that its other window, that opens on the old drive to the east, is
barred most heavily. Do I accord with the views of m'sieur?"

"Quite," said Sheffield crisply. "We'll work through the front window.
Hullo, Harborne!"

"Hullo!" came the latter's voice from the next room.

"Nobody in there?"

"No. Empty room. Door's locked. What's up on your side?"

"Nothing. Mr. Lemage has joined us. Stand by for squalls. I'm going
round to get in at the front-room window."

He paused and listened. They all listened.

The rain droned monotonously on the roof, but there was no other sound.

Sheffield climbed out and passed around by the poplars and through the
laurel bushes to the front. Dawson and Alden stood by the door. With a
pair of handcuffs the inspector broke the glass, and, adopting the same
method as the Frenchman, used his coat to protect his hands from the
splintered pieces in forcing the catch. The rain came down in torrents.
He was drenched to the skin.

Seizing the yellow blind, he tore it from the roller, and also pulled
down the curtains. By the light of the bull's-eye lantern which Dawson
carried he surveyed the little sitting-room. Next, with a muttered
exclamation, he leapt through and searched the one hiding-place--beneath
a large sofa--which the room afforded.

On the common oval walnut table lay a caped overcoat and a rain-soaked
silk hat.

The two doors--other than that guarded by Dawson and Alden--gave (1) on
the room occupied by Harborne; (2) on the room occupied by Duquesne and
Lemage. The keys were missing. The one window, other than that by which
he had entered, was heavily barred, and in