"Not the man who accompanied her to the Paddington Hotel," he said. "Listen--this is the description of that man, as given to the police by the landlady and her servants: 'Age, presumably between forty and forty-five years, medium height. Brown hair. Clean-shaven. Dressed in grey tweed suit, over which he wore a fawn-coloured overcoat. Deerstalker hat--light brown. Brown brogue shoes.' That, you see," continued the chief, "describes a quite different person. You do not recognize the description as that of any man you have ever seen in company with your late maid, Miss Lennard?" "I never saw my maid in any man's company," replied Celia. "Since I first engaged her we have not been much in London. I was in New York and Chicago for a time last year; then in Paris; then in Milan and Turin; lately in Moscow and St. Petersburg. When we were at home, here in London, she certainly had time of her own--her evenings out, you know--but of course I don't know with whom she spent them. No--I don't know any man answering that description." The chief folded up his papers and restored them to his desk. "Now that you are here," he said, "you may as well give me a few particulars about your doings on the _Perisco_, especially as they relate to Mr. James Allerdyke. When and where did you make his acquaintance?" "On the steamer--a few hours after we left Christiania," replied Celia. "Just as fellow-passengers, I suppose?" "Quite so--just that. We sat next to each other at meals." "Do you know where his cabin was on the steamer?" "Yes, exactly opposite my own. He and I, I believe, were the only passengers who had cabins all to ourselves." "Did he ever mention to you these valuables which Mr. Fullaway tells us he was carrying to England!" "No--never at any time." "Did you see him leave the _Perisco_ for the shore?" "Why, yes, certainly! As a matter of fact, he and I came ashore at Hull together, ahead of any other passengers. After Lisette had left the steamer with her brother, I happened to come across Mr. James Allerdyke. I told him what had just occurred, and asked him if he would help me about my things, as my maid had gone. He immediately suggested that we shouldn't wait for the tender, but should get a boat of our own--there were several lying around. He said he was in a great hurry to get ashore, because he'd a friend awaiting him at the Station Hotel. So he got a boat, and his things and mine were put into it, and we left the steamer, and were rowed to the landing-stage, just opposite." "And you, of course, carried your jewel-case--or what you believed to be your jewel-case--the duplicate chest which you subsequently carried to Edinburgh?" "Yes, of course--I had it in my hand when Lisette left, and, I never left hold of it until I got into the hotel." "Do you remember if Mr. James Allerdyke carried anything in his hand?"