Carrymore Mansions is a great block of buildings sandwiched between two more aristocratic and more expensive blocks of flats in the Edgware Road. The ground floor is given up to lock-up shops which perhaps cheapened the building, but still it was a sufficiently exclusive habitation for the rents, as Tarling guessed, to be a little too high for a shop assistant, unless she were living with her family. The explanation, as he was to discover, lay in the fact that there were some very undesirable basement flats which were let at a lower rental. He found himself standing outside the polished mahogany door of one of these, wondering exactly what excuse he was going to give to the girl for making a call so late at night. And that she needed some explanation was clear from the frank suspicion which showed in her face when she opened the door to him. "Yes, I am Miss Rider," she said. "Can I see you for a few moments?" "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head, "but I am alone in the flat, so I can't ask you to come in." This was a bad beginning. "Is it not possible for you to come out?" he asked anxiously, and in spite of herself, she smiled. "I'm afraid it's quite impossible for me to go out with somebody I have never met before," she said, with just a trace of amusement in her eyes. "I recognise the difficulty," laughed Tailing. "Here is one of my cards. I'm afraid I am not very famous in this country, so you will not know my name." She took the card and read it. "A private detective?" she said in a troubled voice. "Who has sent you? Not Mr.----" "Not Mr. Lyne," he said. She hesitated a moment, then threw open the door wider. "You must come in. We can talk here in the hall. Do I understand Mr. Lyne has not sent you?" "Mr. Lyne was very anxious that I should come," he said. "I am betraying his confidence, but I do not think that he has any claim upon my loyalty. I don't know why I've bothered you at all, except that I feel that you ought to be put on your guard." "Against what?" she asked. "Against the machinations of a gentleman to whom you have been----" he hesitated for a word. "Very offensive," she finished for him. "I don't know how offensive you've been," he laughed, "but I gather you have annoyed Mr. Lyne for some reason or other, and that he is determined to annoy you. I do not ask your confidence in this respect, because I realise that you would hardly like to tell me. But what I want to tell you is this, that Mr. Lyne is probably framing up a charge against you--that is to say, inventing a charge of theft." "Of theft?" she cried in indignant amazement. "Against me? Of theft? It's impossible that he could be so wicked!" "It's not impossible that anybody could be wicked," said Tarling of the impassive face and the laughing eyes. "All that I know is that he even induced Mr. Milburgh to say that complaints have been made by Milburgh concerning thefts of money from your department."