"I--er--um!" Blaythwayt was dubious. "I really don't see, Captain Arden, that you've----" _Zzzzzzing! ... Zzzzzzing! ... Zzzzzzing!_ For the second time that evening the clarion summons of the hall bell jazzed into insistence, and Teal ceased mastication for a couple of seconds to frown. Followed the clattering thump of a knocker plied by no patient hand, and then a short pause.... _Zzzzzzing! ... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing!_ Something quite unrelated to any surmise about the identity of the testy one outside prodded the conscience of Mr. Teal, to his discomfort. The foundation of the fact in his misgivings was not long in receiving demonstration. "More callers!" murmured Storm. "I wonder who this is." He opened the front door. "Thank you," said Joan Sands coldly, and marched past him into the sitting-room. She stood aside to allow Storm to enter, and then placed herself across the threshold. "Inspector Teal, I believe?" she said, looking straight at the portly detective. "That's right," said Teal. Flabbergasted as he was, he could not deny her dignity. She stood with her legs slightly astride, her white hands loosely holding the belt of her simple tweed costume, and a glacial inclemency had come into her baby blue eyes. "Captain Arden, I presume?" "Sure!" Storm bowed. Her gaze shifted to Joe Blaythwayt, who had suddenly become conspicuous by his efforts to efface himself. "Who's this, Arden?" she demanded. "Is he a split too?" Storm smiled. "He'll bless you in his prayers if you call him that. Let me introduce you," he said easily. "Mr. Blaythwayt--Miss Sands. I expect he knows your name. He's Teal's father confessor." She looked at him suspiciously. "What's he here for?" "I think he dropped in for a chat with Jimmy. Isn't that it, Joe?" "I--er--um!" began Joe confusedly. "The fact is, Miss Sands, I was especially anxious to have a Private Conversation with your--your--um!" He broke off and looked about him wretchedly, as though his mind was clawing round desperately for a straw of assistance. His embarrassment, which increased with every second of that awkward hiatus, was positively painful. He almost wriggled in his distress, and for the first time Joan smiled. "My lover?--I suppose that's the word you're jibbing at?" she prompted without a tremor. "You're unlucky." "We thought you were away, too," said Storm brazenly, and she swung round on him. "So that's why you came?" "Hardly! We didn't think you were away until we'd come." She looked at him with a frown, as if she thought he was being facetious. He appreciated the genuineness of her scepticism, and took the yellow envelope from his pocket and gave it to her. She read it through, and then opened her bag and took out a telegram. "I've been spending the last two days at Hindhead," she said. "I got this wire this afternoon, and that's all I knew of Jimmy going away. Read it." "Thank you."