"A woman who, for the sake of paying some unworthy debt or of gratifying some whim of feminine vanity, could make use of a young girl's signature to obtain money, would not hesitate at any denial. She would not even blench at my questions." He was right. "I must be convinced in some other way," he went on. "Mrs. Couldock or Miss Dawes do not either of them possess any more truthful or ingenuous countenance than she does, and though it seems madness to suspect such women--" "Wait," I broke in. "Let us be sure of all the facts before we go on. You lie down here and close your eyes; now pull the rug up so. I will have Sudley in and question him. If you do not turn towards the light he will not know who you are." Taylor followed my suggestion, and in a few moments Sudley stood before me. I opened upon him quite carelessly. "Sudley," said I, throwing down the newspaper I had been ostensibly reading, "you remember that little business you did for me in Main Street last month? Something I've been reading made me think of it again." "Yes, sir." "Have you never had a conviction yourself as to which of the three ladies you saw go into the parlor took the letter I left hid in the Bible?" "No, sir. You see I could not. All of them are well known in society here and all of them belong to the most respectable families. I wouldn't dare to choose between them, sir." "Certainly not," I rejoined, "unless you have some good reason for doing so, such as having been able to account for the visits of two of the ladies to the hotel, and not of the third." "They all had a good pretext for being there. Mrs. Couldock gave her card to the boy before going into the parlor, and left as soon as he returned with word that the lady she called to see was not in. Miss Dawes gave no card, but asked for a Miss Terhune, I think, and did not remain a moment after she was informed that that lady had left the hotel." "And Mrs. Walworth?" "She came in from the street adjusting her veil, and upon looking around for a mirror was directed to the parlor, into which she at once stepped. She remained there but a moment, and when she came out passed directly into the street." These words disconcerted me; the mirror was just over the table in the small room, but I managed to remark nonchalantly: "Could you not tell whether any of these three ladies opened the Bible?" "Not without seeming intrusive." I sighed and dismissed the man. When he was gone I approached Taylor. "He can give us no assistance," I cried. My friend was already on his feet, looking very miserable. "I know of only one thing to do," he remarked. "To-morrow I shall call upon Mrs. Couldock and Miss Dawes, and entreat them to tell me if, for any reason, they undertook to deliver a letter mysteriously left in the Bible of the ---- Hotel one day last month. They may have been deputed to do so, and be quite willing to acknowledge it." "And Mrs. Walworth? Will you not ask her the same question?"