At six o'clock to the minute a footman--whose wooden face gave no indication of the fact that a moment before he had confidently informed Foyle in a stage whisper, "She seemed pretty cheerful when she came in, sir--been sitting all alone since"--brought her a card. Then Foyle was ushered in--calm and unruffled as though he were merely making a social call. She returned his bow frigidly. "I hope you will not consider my call inconvenient, Lady Eileen," he said suavely. "I considered it of importance that I should see you as soon as possible." She crossed her knees and regarded him composedly. "I am sorry I was out when you called this morning. Had I known, I should have waited for you." The detective admired the manner in which the girl carried off a difficult situation. She spoke quite indifferently, and yet he knew that she was entirely on her guard. He smoothed the top of his hat with his hand. "Sometimes an appointment with one's bankers is a thing one can't put off," he said blandly. A tiny spot of colour burned in each of her cheeks and she flashed one quick look at the detective. This was an attack in flank which she had not expected. "My bankers?" she lied instantly, "I have not been to my bankers'." "I beg your pardon," he said, his voice keyed to a curious inflection. "I was under the impression that you had--that, in fact, you changed a cheque for £200 made payable to bearer." She tried to hide a new feeling of alarm under a smile. "Well, and if I did?" she challenged. "That is, of course, my private business, Mr. Foyle. You surely haven't come to cross-examine me on my habits of personal extravagance?" "Partly," he countered. "Shall we be plain with one another?" She rose and stood with one arm resting on the mantelpiece, looking down on him. "By all means let us be plain. I am only a girl and I cannot altogether follow the subtleties of your work." "We are not such dreadful people really," he smiled. "We try to do unpleasant work as little unpleasantly as possible. As you say, you are only a girl, and although perhaps uncommonly clever, you are--if you will pardon me--a little apt to let your impulses outreach your reason. More than once I have tried to advise you as I would my own daughter. Well, now, here is some more advice--for what it is worth. Tell me exactly what you did between the time you went out this morning and the time you came in--whom you saw and where you went. Will you do that?" The tick of a small clock on the mantelpiece was loud. Eileen contemplated the tips of her boots with interest. Then a little ripple of laughter shook her. "You are a dreadfully suspicious man. If it interests you, then, you can have it. I went to the bank, and from there took a cab to my dressmaker's, where I paid a bill and was fitted for a new gown. I went on and did some shopping at various places. Shall I write out an exact account for you?"