"Most interesting," said Quarles. "I should like to sit down at once and spend hours with it. This is valuable. Mr. Bridwell's business man ought to take charge of these papers. Do you know the name of his solicitors?" "Mr. Standish, in Hanover Square," Masini answered. The Italian declared he knew nothing about a lady's bag, and we searched for it in vain. Then Quarles and I interviewed the hall porter. He knew that Bridwell had had two gentlemen to dine with him that evening, but he had not taken any particular notice of them. They left soon after eight, he said. He corroborated the Italian's statement that he had gone out at seven, and had returned just before nine. "You didn't see a lady go up to Mr. Bridwell's flat?" "No, sir, but I was not in the entrance hall at the time from eight to nine. It is usually a slack time with me." "I did not mean then," said Quarles. "I meant at any time during the day." "I do not remember a lady calling on Mr. Bridwell at anytime." It was early morning when the professor and I left Duke's Mansions. "There are two obvious things to do, Wigan," said Quarles. "First, we must know something of this man Fisher. I think you should go to Harrow as soon as possible. Then we want to know something of Bridwell's parliamentary record. You might get an interview with one or two of his colleagues, and ask their opinion of him as a public man and as a private individual. Come to Chelsea to-night. You will probably have raked up a good many facts by then, and we may find the right road to pursue. I will also make an inquiry or two. At present I confess to being puzzled." "You told the doctor that you usually formed an opinion before the inquest," I reminded him with a smile. "And he immediately talked of tablets and poisoned foods, and looked horribly superior. He is a young man, and I knew his father, who once did me a good turn. I shall have to repay the debt and prevent the son making a fool of himself." "You have no doubt that it was murder?" I asked. "Why, you told me it was yourself when you rang me up on the 'phone," he answered. As had often happened before, Quarles's manner of shutting me up annoyed me, but when you have to deal with an eccentric it is no use expecting him to travel in an ordinary orbit. To obviate unnecessary repetition I shall give the result of my inquiries as I related it to Quarles and Zena when I went to Chelsea that night. "You look satisfied and successful, Wigan," said the professor. "I am both," I answered. "Whether we shall catch the actual criminal is another matter. We may at least lay our hands on one of his accomplices. Will it surprise you to learn that I am having the Italian Masini carefully watched?" "It is a wise precaution."