He had hardly gone before his telephone bell went, and at the sound of the voice at the other end, she nearly dropped the receiver. “Yes, it is I,” she said. “Good morning, Mr. Beardmore.” “Is Yale there?” asked Jack. “He has just gone out: he will not be back to-day. If there is anything important to tell him, I may be able to find him,” she said, steadying her voice with an effort. “I don’t know whether it’s important or not,” said Jack, “but I was going through my father’s papers this morning, a very disagreeable job, by the way, and I found a whole bunch of papers relating to Marl.” “To Marl?” she said slowly. “Yes, apparently poor Dad knew a great deal more about Marl than we imagined. He had been in prison: did you know that?” “I could have guessed it,” said Thalia. “Father always put through an inquiry about people before he did business with them,” Jack went on, “and apparently there is a lot of explanation about Marl’s early life, collected by a French agency. He seems to have been a pretty bad lot, and I wonder the governor had dealings with him. One curious document is an envelope which is marked ‘Photograph of Execution’: it was sealed up by the French people, and apparently the governor didn’t open it. He hated gruesome things of that kind.” “Have you opened it?” she asked quickly. “No,” he answered in a tone of surprise. “Why do you jump at me like that?” “Will you do me a favour, Jack?” It was the first time she had ever called him by name, and she could almost see him redden. “Why--why, of course, Thalia, I’d do anything for you,” he said eagerly. “Don’t open the envelope,” she said intensely. “Keep all the papers relating to Marl in a safe place. Will you promise that?” “I promise,” he said. “What a queer request to make!” “Have you told anybody about it?” she asked. “I sent a note to Inspector Parr.” He heard her exclamation of annoyance. “Will you promise me not to tell anybody, especially about the photograph?” “Of course, Thalia,” he answered. “I’ll send it along to you, if you like.” “No, no, don’t do that,” she said, then abruptly she finished the conversation. She sat for a few minutes breathing quickly, and then she rose, and putting on her hat, she locked up the office, and went to lunch. Chapter XXXV. Thalia Lunches with a Cabinet Minister The fourth of the month had passed, and Derrick Yale was still alive. He commented on the fact as he came into the office which he and Inspector Parr jointly occupied. “Incidentally,” he said, “I have lost my fishing.” Parr grunted. “It is better that you lost your fishing than that we lost sight of you,” he said. “I am perfectly convinced that if you had taken that trip, you would never have returned.” Yale laughed. “You have a tremendous faith in the Crimson Circle, and their ability to keep their promises.” “I have--to a point,” said the inspector, without looking up from the letter he was writing.