of them. He quietly urged Sir Charles to consider the fact that a great many ladies give a helping hand to Nature in the matter of hair tints. The chemical action of water would-- The baronet nearly lost his temper. "Really, Bruce, you carry your theories too far," he cried. "My wife had none of these vanities. I am sure this is not she. The mere thought that such a thing could be possible makes me ill. Let us get away, quick." So a coroner's jury found an open verdict, and the poor unknown was buried in a pauper's grave. The newspapers dismissed the incident with a couple of paragraphs, though the iron spike planted in the skull afforded good material for a telling headline, and within a couple of days the affair was forgotten.But Claude Bruce, barrister and amateur detective, was quite sure in his
own mind that the nameless woman was Alice, Lady Dyke. He was so certain—though identification of the body was
impossible—that he bitterly resented the scant attention given by the
authorities to the matter. He swore solemnly that he would not rest
until he had discovered her destroyer and brought them to justice.

Chapter III
THE LADY'S MAID

The first difficulty experienced by the barrister in his self-imposed
task was the element of mystery purposely contributed by Lady Dyke
herself. To a man of his quick perception, sharpened by his legal training, it was easy to arrive at the positive facts
underlying his meeting with the missing lady at Victoria Station.

Briefly stated, his summary was this: Lady Dyke intended to go to
Richmond at a later hour than that at which his unexpected presence had
caused her to set out. She had resolved upon a secret visit to someone
in Raleigh Mansions, Sloane Square—someone whom she knew
so slightly that she was unacquainted with the exact address. As a result of this visit, she desired subsequently to see her sister in Richmond.

Sir Charles Dyke appeared to be unconcerned with her movements,
and she had not consulted him beyond the mere politeness of
announcing her probable absence from home at dinner.

To a person with Bruce's analytical powers, the problem would be more simple
if it were more complex in a popular sense. In modern times, it is unusual for a woman of high social standing to disappear without a trace. He approached
his inquiry with less certainty, given Lady Dyke's negative
admissions, than if she had disappeared in a natural disaster and he

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