The man called Hanson shook his head. "I've got to go to the colonel's flat," he said, "to get some papers. Besides, they don't want me." He smiled quickly and wanly. It was a grimace rather than an expression of amusement and Pinto eyed him narrowly. He had, however, the good sense to ask no further questions. Turning the handle of the door, he walked into the large, ornate apartment. In the centre of the room was a big table and the chairs at its sides were, for the most part, filled. He dropped into a seat on the colonel's right and nodded to the others at the table. Most of the principals were there--"Swell" Crewe, Jackson, Cresswell, and at the farther end of the table, Lollie Marsh with her baby face and her permanent expression of open-mouthed wonder. "Where's White?" he asked. The colonel was reading a letter and did not immediately reply. Presently he took off his pince-nez and put them into his pocket. "Where's White?" he repeated. "White isn't here. No, White isn't here," he repeated significantly. "What's wrong?" asked Pinto quickly. The colonel scratched his chin and looked up to the ceiling. "I'm settling up this Spillsbury business," he said. "White isn't in it." "Why not?" asked Pinto. "He never was in it," said the colonel evasively. "It was not the kind of business that White would like to be in. I guess he's getting religious or something, or maybe it's that daughter of his." The eyelids of Pinto Silva narrowed at the reference to Maisie White and he was on the point of remarking that he had just left her, but changed his mind. "Does she know anything about--about her father?" he asked. The colonel smiled. "Why, no--unless you've told her." "I'm not on those terms," said Pinto savagely. "I'm getting tired of that girl's airs and graces, colonel, after what we've done for her!" "You'll get tireder, Pinto," said a voice from the end of the table and he turned round to meet the laughing eyes of Lollie Marsh. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I've been out taking a look at her to-day," she said, and the colonel scowled at her. "You were out taking a look at something else if I remember rightly," he said quietly. "I told you to get after Stafford King." "And I got after him," she said, "and after the girl too." "What do you mean?" "That's a bit of news for you, isn't it?" She was delighted to drop the bombshell: "you can't shadow Stafford King without crossing the tracks of Maisie White." The colonel uttered an exclamation. "What do you mean?" he asked again. "Didn't you know they were acquainted? Didn't you know that Stafford King goes down to Horsham to see her, and takes her to dinner twice a week?"