she said:

"You wish to see me, I understand?"

"Yes. Allow me first to apologize for the hour at which I have called."

"No apology is necessary. But I am going out. Perhaps you will be goodenough not to detain me longer than is absolutely necessary."

She stood between the table and the door. Bruce, who had risen at herentrance, was at the other side of the room. Her words, no less than herattitude, showed that she desired the interview to be brief. But thebarrister resolved that he would not be repelled so coolly.

Advancing, with a bow and that fascinating smile of his, he said,pulling forward a chair:

"Won't you be seated?"

The lady looked at him. She saw a man of fine physique and undoubtedgood breeding. She hesitated. There was no reason to be rude to him, soshe sat down.

Claude drew a chair to the other side of the hearthrug, and commenced:

"I have ventured to seek this interview for the purpose of makingsome inquiries."

"I thought so. Are you a policeman?" The words were blurted outimpetuously, a trifle complainingly, but Bruce gave no sign of theinterest they had for him.

"Good gracious, no," he cried. "Why should you think that?"

"Because two detectives have been bothering me, and every other personin these mansions, about some mysterious lady who called here two monthsago. They don't know where she called, nor will they state her name; asif anyone could possibly know anything about it. So I naturally thoughtyou were on the same errand."

"Confound that rascal White," growled he to himself.

But Mrs. Hillmer went on: "If that is not your business, would you mindtelling me what it is?"

Now Bruce's alert brain had been actively engaged during the last fewseconds. This woman was not the clever, specious adventuress he had halfexpected to meet. It seemed more than ever unlikely that she could haveany knowledge of Lady Dyke or the causes that led to her disappearance.He was tempted to frame some excuse and take his departure. But 

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