Now, for the first time, my eyes left his face, and happened to fall on his hat, which was lying brim upwards at my elbow. My astonishment, when I noticed that the initials A. B. were printed in large letters on the inner band, was so great that I could hardly control myself. I looked for the maker's name--Halstead, Chicago, I made out. Could this be the missing hat? It seemed incredible. Argot would never dare display so openly such a proof of his guilt! But if he were demented (which I firmly believed him to be) would not this flaunting of his crime be one of the things one might expect of an insane man? I had been so startled that it was some minutes before I dared raise my eyes, fearing that their expression would betray me. I have absolutely no idea what he was talking about during that time, but the next sentence I caught was: "She vill, she vill come, but you jus' say, nonsense, zat is nossing, and zen she go." "Very well," I assured him, anxious to get rid of the fellow. "I quite understand;" and, rising from my chair, I dismissed him with a nod. My office was still full of people, and I think that seeing those other patients was about the most difficult thing I ever did. But at last even that ordeal was over, and I was able to start out in search of the detective. I had a good deal of difficulty in finding him, and, after telephoning all over creation, at last met him accidentally, not far from the Rosemere. I was so excited that I hailed him from a long way off, pointing significantly the while to my hat. By Jove, you should have seen him sprint! I had no idea those short legs of his could make such good time. We met almost directly in front of my door. "What is it?" he panted. Without answering, I took him by the elbow and led him into the house. He sank exhausted into one of my office chairs. "What's up?" he repeated. "Well," I began slowly, for I meant to enjoy my small triumph to the full, "I only wanted to ask you if you have yet found the missing hat?" "No; have you?" "No; I can't say I have." His face fell perceptibly. "But I know where a straw hat bearing the name of a Chicago hatter, and with the initials, 'A. B.,' stamped on the inside band, can be found," I added. "You don't say so? Where is it?" He spoke quietly, but I noticed that his eyes glistened. "I don't quite know where it is at this moment, but when I last saw it, it was on this desk." "On this desk, and you allowed it--" He paused, speechless with disgust. "Certainly, I allowed it to be taken away, if that is what you mean. However, you can easily get it again. It is not far off. But, I assure you, I have no intention of appearing in the character of the corpse in another sensational tragedy." "Who brought it here?" demanded Mr. Merritt. "Well, do you think that Argot would be a likely person?" I asked. "Argot!" He was evidently surprised.