The old man was in his dressing-gown and had not been half an hour in bed when Dorn arrived. He looked with mild suspicion at the visitor--a suspicion which was intensified when he learnt the object of his visit. “Yes, sir, Miss Elizabetta Smith is in the house. Are you from the police?” “Yes,” said Michael, without stretching the truth. “Can I speak to Miss Smith?” “She came in late and very distressed. I understand that the good countess has promised to do all in her power to secure the release of my young friend, Miss Reddle. It is indeed an awful thing to have happened. Will you come in, sir?” Michael followed him up the stairs to his little room and sat down whilst the musician went up to arouse Lizzy. She also had heard the knocking and was waiting in the doorway of her room when Mackenzie came up. “Dorn, is it?” she said viciously. “I’ll come down and Dorn him! He’ll be ‘sunset’ by the time I’ve finished with him!” She came into Michael’s presence a flaming virago. “You’ve got a nerve!” she said. “After swearing away the life of poor Lois----” Michael shook his head. “She’s not here?” he interrupted with a touch of asperity. “Here? Of course she’s not here! She’s in the police station, and how you could----” “She’s not in the police station, she’s been released, and I want to find the man who released her.” Something in his tone silenced the girl. “Isn’t she with Lady Moron?” she asked. “I am going to Chester Square, but I don’t expect to find Miss Reddle there. I locked her up to save her life--I suppose you realise that? There have been two attempts made to kill her, and I had information that the third would be more successful. I knew her mother was on the point of being released from prison--she was in fact released last night. It is vitally necessary that I should have Lois Reddle under my eye.” Lizzy had collapsed into a chair. “Her mother released from prison?” she said hollowly. “What are you talking about? Her mother’s dead. And killing? Who’s going to kill Lois? Why! It was an accident--the balcony.” “It was no accident,” said Michael quietly. “The balcony has been unsafe for a year past and was condemned by the borough surveyor on the advice of a local builder who was brought in to repair the slab. Until Miss Reddle occupied that room in Chester Square the French windows leading to the balcony had been kept locked up.” Lizzy gasped. “But the servants----” “The servants were all new. None of them had been longer in the house than a fortnight. Sergeant Braime came up from Newbury, and even he knew nothing.” “Sergeant Braime?” she repeated, wide-eyed. “Braime is an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department, who has been in the countess’ household for six months,” was the staggering reply. “Nobody was allowed to go on to the balcony. A gate was fixed to prevent the servants from forestalling the plan--it was removed the night Lois went to her room.” “By whom?” asked Lizzy quietly.