“To get him out of the way, in order to get the recipe and manufacture the buns.” “For whom?” “That’s just it. There are several bakeries interested,—others beside the principal ones, of which we know. Now we must find out which baker could have worked his deadly scheme through women.” “Does this let out the Prall or Everett suspects?” “To my mind, yes. But I never suspected them, anyway.” “Nor I. And I’ve exonerated Mrs Everett to my satisfaction, and I’m going to find out for sure about the Grenadier. Now, there’s that Molly,——” “Yes, she’s in it, up to the neck, I believe. And she’s such a liar——” “Oh, Penny, you can’t let a lady liar fool you, can you? Get her up here, and put her through an inquisition. _I’ll_ tell you if she’s telling truth or not.” “Yes, you’re first class at that.” Molly was summoned and when she appeared Zizi saw at once something had happened. The girl’s demeanor was entirely changed. She was more self-important and self-assertive, and Zizi wondered if she had learned something definite against some suspect. “Molly,” began Wise, “we’ve found that some one has been—prowling round in here, just as you said,—and you are to tell us who it was.” “That I don’t know, sir,” the girl replied, speaking with a flippancy that was careless and almost impertinent. “Then tell us all you do know. Was it a man or a woman?” “A woman, sir.” “Why, Molly!” Zizi cried, “you told me it was a man, and that he was up to no good. Those were your very words.” “Oh, no, you don’t remember correctly. I said it was a woman.” “That is an untruth,” Zizi stated, calmly. “So, now we know you are telling us falsehoods, we must find out why. Has some one paid you for it? We will pay you more for the truth. Might as well, Penny. This girl only sells her statements, true or false.” “All right, Molly. But we only want to buy the true ones. Now, what’ll you take for all you really know about the matter, and guarantee to be the strict truth?” “I don’t want any pay. And the truth is that the person I saw was a lady—I mean a woman.” “Care to mention names?” “I don’t know who it was. I just saw a veiled figure——” “Cut out the veiled figure!” cried Zizi. “You’re making it up. There never was any veiled figure,—you saw a man hunting around here, while you were hidden in the bathroom. You know he was looking for something of value hidden in these rooms. And——” Zizi’s black eyes fairly seemed to bore into Molly’s own as she went on, “you know he got it. Also, you know who the man was,—and you won’t tell, and you say it was a woman, because—because what, Molly?” “I don’t—I mean——” Molly blushed scarlet and dropped her eyes; then, with a revived bravado she cried, “It _was_ a woman,—I tell you it was a woman!” “Stop lying!” said Zizi sternly, “she’s doing that, Pen, because the man she saw has ordered her to.” “No, he hasn’t,” Molly declared, but Zizi said: “Yes, he has, and what’s more, he has bribed you by——”