"Well, you might call it that. Anyway, we can't seem to find any trace of her. I've got an idea that maid of hers knows something, but if she does she won't talk to me. And considering that, and everything--the circumstances being so unusual all around--it seemed to be up to me to take some steps to make sure nothing was wrong." He faltered, patently embarrassed by a distasteful task. "Well?" Sally insisted coolly. "Still you've given me no reason for this outrageous intrusion and accusation." "No, miss; I'm coming to that. You see, the first thing was to get that letter-box opened and examine those envelopes. I got several of the gentlemen to act as a sort of a committee, so as nobody could kick on the ground that everything wasn't done open and aboveboard." "You found no confession, I gather?" Mrs. Standish interpolated. "No, ma'am--no confession. All but two of the cards were blank. The two had something written on them--anonymous information, so to speak. I brought them along so that Miss Manwaring would understand, in case there was any mistake, it wasn't my fault." He fumbled in a pocket, brought forth the cards, and with some hesitation handed them over to Sally. Both bore messages laboriously printed in pencil, of much the same tenor: "_Suggest you look into Miss Manwaring's antecedents--also her actions between one and three o'clock last night_." "_Ask Miss Manwaring what she was doing out of bed after one last night--search of her room might prove helpful_." Silently Sally returned the cards. "You see," the detective apologised heavily, "after that, there wasn't anything for it but to ask you to explain." "There is nothing to explain; the charge is preposterous." "Yes, miss--that is, I hope so, for your sake. All the same, I had to ask you. Most of the gentlemen present when I opened the envelopes seemed to think I ought to do something at once. Personally, I'd rather have consulted Mrs. Gosnold before putting it up to you this way." "I'm afraid you will find that would have been wiser." "Yes, miss, perhaps. But she being absent and no way of finding out when she was liable to be back and the case left in my hands, to act on my discretion, providing no confession was made--" "Still, I advise you to wait. If you think you must do something, why not employ your talents to find Mrs. Gosnold?" "Well--that's so, too; and I would, only it was suggested that maybe she hadn't disappeared really, but was just keeping out of sight until this business was settled, preferring not to be around when anything unpleasant was pulled off. Like this." Sally shrugged. "Very well," she said indifferently. "What then?" "I'd like to ask you some questions." "Spare yourself the trouble. I shan't answer." "You might make things easier for all of us, miss, yourself included."