"But--by whom?" asked Starmidge. "That's precisely what I want to know! The knowledge will help me--ah!--I don't know how much it mayn't help me! For there's no doubt about it, gentlemen, Hollis went down to Scarnham to pay ten thousand pounds to somebody on somebody else's account! He was, I am sure, as it were, ambassador for somebody. Who was--who is--that somebody? Almost certainly, the person who gave Hollis the cheque your manager has just mentioned--and whose ten thousand pounds is, as a matter of fact, still lying in your hands! Who is that person? What bank was the cheque drawn on? Let me have an answer to both these questions, and----" The two old gentlemen exchanged looks, and Mr. Mullineau quietly rose and left the room. In his absence Mr. Vanderkiste shook his head at the detective. "A very, very queer case, officer!" he remarked. "An extraordinary case, sir," agreed Starmidge. "Before we get to the end of it there'll be some strange revelations, Mr. Vanderkiste." "So I should imagine--so I should imagine!" assented the old gentleman. "Very remarkable proceedings altogether! We shall be deeply interested in hearing how matters progress. Of course, this affair of the ten thousand pounds is very curious. We----" Mr. Mullineau came back--with a slip of paper, which he handed to the detective. "That gives you the information you want," he said. Starmidge read aloud what the manager had written down on his principal's instructions. "Drawer--Helen Lester," he read. "Bank--London & Universal: Pall Mall Branch." He looked up at the two partners. "I suppose you gentlemen don't know who this Mrs. or Miss Helen Lester is?" he inquired. "No--not at all," answered Mr. Mullineau. "Nor does Linthwaite. I thought Mr. Hollis might have told him something about that special purpose. But--he told him nothing." "You'll have to go to the London & Universal people," observed Mr. Vanderkiste. "They, of course, will know all about this customer." Mullineau looked inquiringly at his partner. "Don't you think that--as there are almost certain to be some complications about this matter--Linthwaite had better go with Detective Starmidge?" he suggested. "The situation, as regards the ten thousand pounds, is a somewhat curious one. This Miss or Mrs. Lester will want to recover it. Now, according to what Mr. Starmidge tells us, no body, so far as he's aware, is in possession of any facts, papers, letters, anything, relating to it. I think there should be some consultation between ourselves and this other bank which is concerned." "Excellent suggestion!" agreed Mr. Vanderkiste. "Let him go--by all means."