"None. 'Ow can 'e? 'E's as mad as a hatter, as the sayin' goes," replied the constable, his thumbs hitched in his belt as he stood. "A kind of midnight wanderer, eh?" "Yes, 'e's always a-pryin' about at night. Not long ago 'e found burglars in a 'ouse in Gloucester Terrace, and gave us the alarm. We copped four of 'em. The magistrate gave 'im a guinea out o' the poor-box." "Ah! so he's of use to you?" "Yes, sir, 'e's most intelligent where there's any suspicious characters about. I've often put 'im on the watch myself." "Then he's not quite insane?" "Not on that point, at any rate," laughed the officer. "Where does he live?" "'Is father's a hackney-carriage driver, and 'e lives with 'im up in Gloucester Mews, just at the back of Porchester Mews--I don't know if you know it?" I was compelled to confess ignorance of the locality, but he directed me. "Are you on night-duty in Porchester Terrace, constable?" I asked a few moments later. "Yes, sir, sometimes. Why?" "You know Althorp House, of course?" "Yes, the 'aunted 'ouse, as some people call it. Myself, I don't believe in ghosts." "Neither do I," I laughed, "but I've heard many funny stories about that place. Have you ever heard any?" "Lots, sir," replied the man. "We're always being told of strange things that 'ave 'appened there, yet when we 'ave a look around we never find anything, so we've ceased to trouble. Our inspector's given us orders not to make any further inquiries, 'e's been worried too often over idle gossip." "What's the latest story afloat concerning the place?" I asked. "I'm always interested in mysteries of that sort." "Oh, I 'eard yesterday that somebody was seen to get out of a taxi-cab and enter. And 'e 'asn't been seen to come forth again." "That's curious," I said. "And haven't you looked over the place?" "I'm not on duty there. Perhaps my mate 'as. I don't know. But, funnily enough," added the officer, "Mad 'Arry has been tellin' me something about it a moment ago--something I can't understand--something about the garden. I suppose 'e's been a-fancyin' something or other. Everybody seems to see something in the garden, or at the windows. Why, about a week ago, a servant from one of the 'ouses in the Terrace came up to me at three o'clock in the afternoon, in broad daylight, and said as how she'd distinctly seen at the drawin'-room window the face of a pretty, fair-haired girl a-peerin' through the side of the dirty blind. She described the girl, too, and said that as soon as she saw she was noticed the inmate of the place drew back instantly." "A fair-haired girl!" I exclaimed, quickly interested. "Yes; she described her as wearin' a black velvet band on her hair." "And what did you do?" I asked anxiously. "Why, nothing. I've 'eard too many o' them kind o' tales before." "Yes," I said reflectively. "Of course all kinds of legends and rumours must naturally spring up around a house so long closed."