"'I never had any. He is as much a police officer as you are. He told you a cock and bull story, and got rid of you. He was left in the house alone, and, more for your sake than my own, I want to find out what he has been up to. Decide quickly, please.' "'Do what you like, sir. You've been right in everything; but things are getting more and more mysterious.' "Without wasting more words our reporter pushed his elbow into a pane, and putting his hand through, undid the fastening and raised the sash. Sophy climbed in like a cat, and the next minute the street door was open. They entered and closed the door behind them. "'We will proceed systematically,' said our reporter. 'The man spoke to you in the passage here.' "'Yes, sir; and sed he'd wait.' "'Did you tell him to wait in the kitchen, or the parlor, or in any particular room?' "'No, sir; I left it to 'im.' "'Doubtless he has been into every room in the house. We will go into the kitchen first.' "Nothing had been disturbed there; the key of the street-door was on the kitchen table. Our reporter took it up and examined it closely. "'As I imagined,' he said. 'He has taken an impression of the key in wax.' "'What for, sir?' asked Mrs. Middlemore, in great trepidation. "'To enable him to enter the house again secretly, if he wished. When I am gone send for a plumber and a locksmith. Let the plumber put in the pane of glass, and have another lock put on the street door. Your visitor must have been in a hurry, or he would have cleaned this key more carefully.' "From the kitchen they went into the parlor, and apparently nothing had been disturbed there. Then they proceeded upstairs to the rooms occupied by M. Felix. "'Look carefully round,' said our reporter, 'and tell me if anything has been taken away.' "'Nothink, sir, that I can see.' "'But there may have been papers, or money, or something of which he wishes to obtain possession, secreted somewhere, and it is quite likely he may have found them.' "'I won't dispute you, sir. You see further than I do; but it don't seem as if anythink's been took.' "'Or moved? The ornaments on the mantelshelf--are they all there?' "'I don't miss one, sir.' "'But they have been shifted. Here is this vase; observe the circle upon which it stood. The vase has been lifted and put down again, but not on the exact spot it occupied when he took it up. This proves the object for which he came; he has been searching for something, and has probably found it and taken it away. How could you have been so foolish as to leave him in the house alone?' "Mrs. Middlemore sank helpless into a chair, and moaned. 'What else could I do, sir, what else could I do? It'll be the death of me, I know it will!'