Louis seemed to have found his voice again. “Yes, sir, of course he must be found. Of course I want him found,--the miscreant, the villain! but, Mr. Burroughs, sir, what I have see in the office makes nothing to your search. I simply see Mr. Crawford alive and well. And I pass by. That fool girl Elsa, she tell you that I pass by, so I may say so. But I see nothing in the office to alarm me, and if I drop my transfer there, it is but because I think of him as no consequence, and I let him go.” “Louis,” and I looked him straight in the eye, “all that sounds straightforward and true. But, if you saw nothing in the office to surprise or alarm you, why did you at first deny having passed by the office at all?” The man had no answer for this. He was not ingenious in inventing falsehood, and he stood looking helpless and despairing. I perceived I should have to go on with my questioning. “Was it a man or a woman you saw in there with Mr. Crawford?” “I see nobody, sir, nobody but my master.” That wouldn't do, then. As long as I asked him direct questions he could answer falsely. I must trip him up in some roundabout way. “Yes,” I said pleasantly, “I understand that. And what was Mr. Crawford doing?” “He sat at his desk;” and Louis spoke slowly, and picked his words with care. “Was he writing?” “No; that is, yes, sir, he was writing.” I now knew he was not writing, for the truth had slipped out before the man could frame up his lie. I believed I was going to learn something at last, if I could make the man tell. Surely the testimony of one who saw Joseph Crawford late that night was of value, and though that testimony was difficult to obtain, it was well worth the effort. “And was Mr. Hall at his desk also?” Louis stared at me. “Mr. Hall, he was in New York that night.” This was said so simply and unpremeditatedly, that I was absolutely certain it was not Hall whom Louis had seen there. “Oh, yes, of course, so he was,” I said lightly; “and Mr. Crawford was writing, was he?” “Yes, sir,” spoken with the dogged scowl which I was beginning to learn always accompanied Louis's untruthful statements. And now I decided to put my worst fear to the test and have it over with. It must be done, and I felt sure I could do it, but oh, how I dreaded it! “Did Mr. Crawford look up or see you?” “No, sir.” “And didn't Miss Florence see you, either?” “No, sir.” It was out. The mere fact that Louis answered that question so calmly and unconsciously proved he was telling the truth. But what a truth! for it told me at the same time that Florence Lloyd was in the office with her uncle, that Louis had seen her, but that she had not seen him. I had learned the truth from my reading of the man's expression and demeanor, and though it made my heart sink, I didn't for a moment doubt that it was the truth.