"How thankful I am that you approve!" she exclaimed. "It seemed to me ungrateful that I should take a step so important without consulting you." "You had no choice," I said, "and M. Bordier is a gentleman. Did his son accompany him?" "Poor Julian! I do not know. I fear he is scarcely in a fit state." I inferred from this that Julian Bordier was ill, but before I had time to make an inquiry my mother entered the room. "A telegram for you," she said, and handed it to me. I tore it open and read it. "I have strange and important news for you. Sophy is with me. Come down at once. Bob." There was an A B C in the house, and I turned over the pages feverishly. I had just twenty-two minutes to catch a train, the last of the day, which would enable me to get to Bob at about eleven o'clock. Late as it would be I knew that he would expect me. I rapidly explained to Emilia the necessity of my immediate departure, and ran out of the house. Fortunately a cab was passing. "Drive as if Old Nick was at your heels," I said to the cabby, jumping in. "Treble fare." The driver cracked his whip, and away we rattled. CHAPTER L. CLEVER SOPHY. Bob was waiting for me on the platform. He was smoking a cigar, and did not appear the least flurried. His calm demeanor, being somewhat antagonistic to the tone of his telegram, annoyed me. "Well, Bob?" I said. "Well, old man?" said he. "Knew you would come down by this train." "Of course you did," I said irritably. "Now for your news." "No hurry," he said, phlegmatically. "Plenty of time before us." "Don't trifle, there's a good fellow. Have you seen M. Bordier?" "I have seen a gentleman of that name. Introduced himself to me. Showed me a letter from your lady friend. It was addressed to you, but he made free with it. He had a right to do so perhaps, as it was in an unsealed envelope. Who is the gentleman? Has he anything to do with this affair?" "He is an important person in our inquiry, Bob," I replied, "and is intimately connected with it." "Ah," said Bob, dryly. "If I'd been in your place I should have mentioned him earlier. He came like a bombshell upon me, and vanished, so to speak, like a flash of lightning. Any better, Sophy?" Then for the first time I noticed the girl. She was crouched up on a bench, with her cloak over her head. The words Bob and I had exchanged were uttered at a little distance from her, and she had not heard my voice. I stepped close to her and removed the cloak from her head. "Sophy," I said, "are you ill?" She jumped up and took the hand I held out to her, but did not answer. Her face was very white, and there was a look of fear in her eyes. "Good God!" I cried, with a pang. "Have they been ill-treating her? What's the matter with you, Sophy?" "Not afore 'im," she said. Her throat seemed to be parched, her voice was so choked. "No, they have not ill-treated her," said Bob; "I can answer for that. When she came with the desk----"