"But it _might_ happen," persisted Bundle. "Oh! it _might_," admitted the Superintendent. There was a moment or two's silence. Then Bundle said quietly. "Superintendent Battle, could you give me a list of secret societies that have their headquarters in Seven Dials?" It was Superintendent Battle's boast that he had never been seen to display emotion. But Bundle could have sworn that just for a moment his eyelids flickered and he looked taken aback. Only for a moment, however. He was his usual wooden self as he said: "Strictly speaking, Lady Eileen, there's no such place as Seven Dials nowadays." "No?" "No. Most of it is pulled down and rebuilt. It was rather a low quarter once, but it's very respectable and high class nowadays. Not at all a romantic spot to poke about in for mysterious secret societies." "Oh!" said Bundle, rather nonplussed. "But all the same I should very much like to know what put that neighborhood into your head, Lady Eileen?" "Have I got to tell you?" "Well, it saves trouble, doesn't it? We know where we are, so to speak?" Bundle hesitated for a minute. "There was a man shot yesterday," she said slowly. "I thought I had run over him--" "Mr. Ronald Devereux?" "You know about it, of course. Why has there been nothing in the papers?" "Do you really want to know that, Lady Eileen?" "Yes, please." "Well, we just thought we should like to have a clear twenty-four hours--see? It will be in the papers to-morrow." "Oh!" Bundle studied him, puzzled. What was hidden behind that immovable face. Did he regard the shooting of Ronald Devereux as an ordinary crime or as an extraordinary one. "He mentioned Seven Dials when he was dying," said Bundle slowly. "Thank you," said Battle. "I'll make a note of that." He wrote a few words on the blotting pad in front of him. Bundle started on another tack. "Mr. Lomax, I understand, came to see you yesterday about a threatening letter he had had." "He did." "And that was written from Seven Dials?" "It had Seven Dials written at the top of it, I believe." Bundle felt as though she was battering hopelessly on a locked door. "If you'll let me advise you, Lady Eileen--"' "I know what you're going to say." "I should go home and--well, think no more about these matters." "Leave it to you, in fact?" "Well," said Superintendent Battle, "after all, we _are_ the professionals." "And I'm only an amateur? Yes, but you forget one thing--I mayn't have your knowledge and skill--but I have one advantage over you. I can work in the dark." She thought that the Superintendent seemed a little taken aback, as though the force of her words struck home. "Of course," said Bundle, "if you won't give me a list of secret societies--" "Oh! I never said that. You shall have a list of the whole lot."