myth dryly. "But I can't undertake to
determine how far that fact has any bearing on this particular instance."

Millicent talked about something else, but she was annoyed with herself
when the question Nasmyth had raised once more obtruded itself on her
attention during the evening.

On Wednesday Lisle walked over to Marple's house, because he had promised
to go, though he would much rather have spent an hour or two with Nasmyth
and Millicent in the latter's drawing-room. He had no opportunity for any
private speech with Bella, but she flung him a grateful glance as he came
in. He waited patiently and followed her brother here and there, but he
could not secure a word with him alone.

Some time had passed when, escaping from a group engaged in what struck
him as particularly stupid badinage, he sauntered toward the
billiard-room, struggling with a feeling of irritation. He was generally
good-humored and tolerant rather than hypercritical, but the somewhat
senseless hilarity of Marple's guests was beginning to jar on him. A
burst of laughter which he thought had been provoked by one of Bella's
sallies followed him down the corridor, but when he quietly opened the
door the billiard-room was empty except for a group of three in one
corner. He stopped just inside the threshold, glancing at them, and it
was evident that they had not heard his approach.

Wreaths of cigar smoke drifted about the room; the light of the shaded
lamps fell upon the men seated on a lounge, and their expressions and
attitudes were significant. Gladwyne leaned back languidly graceful;
Batley, a burlier figure, was talking, his eyes fixed on Crestwick; and
the lad sat upright, looking eager. Batley appeared to be discussing the
principles of operating on the stock exchange.

"It's obvious," he said, "that there's very little to be made by waiting
until any particular stock becomes a popular favorite--the premium
equalizes the profit and sometimes does away with it. The essential thing
is to take hold at the beginning, when the shares are more or less in
disfavor and can be picked up cheap."

Lisle stood still--he was in the shadow--watching the lad, who now showed
signs of uncertainty.

"I dropped a good deal of money the last time I tried it," he protested.
"The trouble is that if you come in when the company's starting, you
can't form an accurate idea of how it ought to go."

"Exactly," replied Batley. "You can rarely be quite sure. What yo