"What do you mean--you knew him very well by sight?" "Well, I spoke to him two or three times, and, of course, he spoke to me. And I used often to see her with him. And then he was always at the theatre. He used to give her everything she wanted, and made no end of a fuss of her. The girls all envied her good luck." "It looks as if they had cause to. What sort of party was this swell of hers to look at?" "He was tall, and dark, and very handsome, and he had most beautiful hands, and one of the nicest-speaking voices I ever heard--and such a smile! And he dressed awfully well--he was an awful swell. Milly told me he was awfully rich, but I could see that without her telling me." Mr. Holman had listened to the girl's description with some appearance of surprise. "Of course you could. You girls can see anything. That's how it is so many of you come to grief--you think you see so much. You're sure you haven't made a mistake about this swell of hers? You're sure he wasn't short, and plump, and rosy?" "He wasn't a scrap like that. He was exactly as I've told you. Short, and plump, and rosy? Indeed! I should think he wasn't." "Would you recognise him if you saw him again?" "Rather! I should think I should. I should know him anywhere. If you saw him once, you would never be likely to forget him, he was too good-looking." "Was he indeed? You seem to have been more than half in love with him yourself. You girls always do fall in love with the right sort of men. Have you any of this young woman's writing?" "I've some of her letters which she sent me." Mr. Haines, advancing, laid his hand gently on Miss Johnson's arm. "Will you let me see her letters--my girl's, my Loo's?" "Of course I will. You can come round and look at them now if you like. There's time before I'm due at the theatre." The young girl looked up at the old man with a curious interest. "She was an American. She used to talk to me about a place called Colorado." "She was raised in Colorado. And that is where she left me. So you were her friend--my girl's friend?" "Well, we were pals." "Pals? Yes. You were pals." Mr. Haines looked at Miss Johnson inquiringly, searchingly, as if he was endeavouring to ascertain, by force of visual inspection, what sort of girl she was. Mr. Holman interposed. "When you two have done palavering, perhaps Miss Hetty Johnson will be good enough to tell me what was this young woman's address at Brighton--that is, if she happens to remember it." "I remember it perfectly." Miss Hetty proved that she did by unhesitatingly furnishing her uncle with the information required. Her uncle entered the address she gave him in his pocket-book. He looked at his watch.