"Say nothing to mother, say nothing to anyone; leave me to do all the telling--you know nothing; that's all you've got to know. You understand?" His voice as he replied was grim. "Oh, yes, I understand." "Then, for the present, it's good-bye." She opened the door. He checked her. "I shall see you to-night when I come in." "You shall; if--if nothing's been told." She went from the room to her own on the landing below, put on her hat, her coat, and her gloves, and went quickly down the stairs. Seldom was a pretty girl ready more quickly for the street. She already had the front door open when her mother called to her. "Mabel, what to goodness is the matter with you? Where are you going?" The girl seemed for a moment to be in doubt whether or not to let her mother's question go unheeded; then decided to vouchsafe her at least some scraps of information. "Mother, I believe Mr. Elmore's gone." "Gone? Mr. Elmore? What's the girl talking about?" "His bedroom's empty, and there's ten pounds on the dressing-table, and I'm going straight off to the City to see." "To the City!" The astonishment of the lady's voice was justified; she came quickly along the passage as if to learn what might be the significance of the mystery which she felt was in the air. But her daughter did not wait for her approach; she was through the door, had shut it with a bang, before her mother had realised what it was she meant to do. Miss Joyce did not go to the City; she went instead to No. 90, Russell Square. There she inquired for Miss Patterson. She was told the lady was at breakfast. "Tell her--tell her that I'm Miss Joyce, and that I must see her--at once." She was in the hall, and looked so strange as she leaned against the wall, with her white face and frightened eyes, that the maid looked at her as if she could not make her out at all. "Miss Joyce, did you say the name was?" "Yes--Joyce--Mabel Joyce; tell Miss Patterson that Miss Joyce must see her at once." The maid went into a room upon the right--the dining-room--presently reappeared, with Miss Patterson behind her. Gladys came out into the hall. "Miss Joyce! You wish to see me? On what business?" "Somewhere--somewhere where we'll be private." Gladys observed her with curious eyes; then she held open the dining-room door. "I'm at breakfast; but, if you don't mind, you'd better come in here." Mabel went in, Gladys followed. The stranger, now that they were alone, presented such a woebegone picture that, in spite of herself, Gladys was moved. "You don't seem well--are you ill? Hadn't you better sit down?--here's a chair." She pushed the chair towards her visitor, but Mabel would none of it. "No, it doesn't matter, I'd--I'd rather stand. My mother was Mr. Elmore's--landlady."