"Now," said Wise, his quick smile flashing inclusively at all of them, "we must get acquainted. I'm Penny Wise, and all possible jokes on my name have already been made, so that's all right. I know Mrs. Landon, and you, of course," looking at Wynne, "are her husband. Professor Hardwick," and he bowed slightly, "is the man with whom I have had a short correspondence regarding my coming here. You, sir,----" he looked inquiringly at Braye. "I'm Rudolph Braye, nephew of Mr. Gifford Bruce, and present heir to his fortune." The quiet sadness of Braye's tone precluded any idea of his triumph of exultation at the fact he stated. "This," he went on, "is the Reverend Mr. Tracy, a friend of us all. And these ladies are Miss Carnforth and Miss Cameron, both deeply interested in the solution of the mysteries that confront us. Since introductions are in order, may I inquire further concerning the young lady,--or child,--who accompanied you?" "Zizi? She's part of my working outfit. In fact, one of my principal bits of paraphernalia. I always use her on mysterious cases. Don't look on her as an individual, please, she's a property,--in the theatrical sense, I mean." "But her standing in the household?" asked Milly, "does she belong with the servants, or in here with us?" "She'll look after that herself," and Penny Wise smiled. "Pay no more attention to her than you would to my umbrella or walking stick. Now we know each others' names, let's proceed to the case itself. Who is going to tell me all about it?" "Which of us would you rather have do so?" asked Eve, her long, glittering eyes fixed on the detective's face. He glanced at her quickly, and then let his gaze continue to rest on her beautiful, sibylline countenance. "Not you," he said, "you are too--well, I suppose the word I must use is temperamental, but it's a word I hate." "Why?" asked the Professor, "what do you mean by temperamental?" "That's the trouble," smiled Wise. "It doesn't mean anything. Strictly speaking, every one has temperament of one sort or another, but it has come to mean an emotional temperament,----" "What do you mean by emotional?" interrupted Hardwick. "There you go again!" and Wise looked amused. "Emotions are of all sorts, but emotional has come to be used only in reference to demonstrations of the affections." "You're a scholar!" cried the Professor. "Rarely do I meet a man with such a fine sense of terminology!" "Glad you're pleased. But, Professor, neither do I choose you as historian of the affairs of Black Aspens. Let me see," his eyes roved from one to another, "it seems to me I'll get the most straightforward, uncoloured statement from a clerical mind. I think Mr. Tracy can tell me, in the way I want to hear it, a concise story of the mysteries and tragedies you have been through up here." Mr. Tracy looked at the detective gravely.