"That's the point--we don't; that's to say, not so that we can speak with certainty. You see, this is a private sitting-room, and occupants of private sitting-rooms have visitors of whom we know nothing. We can't keep an eye upon them as if they were public rooms--it stands to reason. But one of my waiters, named Timmins--this is Timmins--informs me that he brought a message and a note to Mr Emmett, who was enjoying his wine after dinner, to the effect that a gentleman wished to see him; and that he went out to see the gentleman; but whether the gentleman returned with him Timmins cannot say." The inspector addressed the waiter. "When you brought that message was he alone?" "Yes, sir, he was alone; except for the young lady." The landlord exclaimed. "Young lady!--What young lady?" "Why, sir, the young lady he dined with; he and she dined together." "This is the first time you've mentioned a young lady." "Well, sir, he and the young lady had dinner together--dinner was ordered for two. I thought you knew that." "I knew nothing about it--this is the first I've heard about it; this is the first time I've heard about any young lady. Did you know about it?" This last question was put to his wife. "I knew a lady came with him; he took two bedrooms, one for himself and one for her; his was No. 238, hers was No. 49, on the floor above. He wanted her next to him, they tell me in the office; but the rooms on either side of his were engaged." "What was the lady's name?" "That I don't know; I find he entered himself in the book as 'George Emmett and Lady.' When I asked Miss Wilson, who was there when he came, why she let him do it, she said that she asked him what was the lady's name; and he said it was all right and didn't matter." "Did you see her?" "No; I can't say that I did. I'm told she's quite young. She seems to have brought precious little luggage. There's only a small battered old tin box in her room." "I can only say that this is the first mention I've heard of any young lady; I'd no idea that anyone came with him. I can't understand, Timmins, why you didn't speak of her before." "Well, sir, I thought you knew." "Don't I tell you I didn't know? What do you mean by persisting in thinking I knew? I understood you to say that when you brought the message he was alone." "So he was, sir--except for the young lady." "Except for the young lady! What the devil do you mean by 'except for the young lady'? He wasn't alone if she was there--was he?" The inspector interposed. "That's all right, Mr Elsey; you leave this to me--this is more in my line than yours." He tackled the waiter, whose expression, as they worried him, became more and more rabbitlike. "You say that Mr Emmett and this young lady dined together?" "Yes, sir, they did--I waited on them." "Did she strike you as being young? How old would you have set her down as?"