"Of course he has. He's overburdened with money--that's what it is. Mr. Henderson looks after all his affairs. Mr. De Gex has no regard for money. Mr. Henderson attends to everything. Phew! I wish I were a millionaire! I find it hard enough nowadays to pay the butcher and baker and make both ends meet." "And so do I," I said, laughing. "But, tell me, where is the young lady who used to live here--Mr. De Gex's niece?" "His niece! I don't think he has a niece." "Miss Gabrielle Engledue." "Who's she? I've never heard of her," was the man's reply. I described her, but he shook his head. "To my knowledge Mr. De Gex hasn't got a niece," he said. "Were you here five weeks ago?" I inquired. "Five weeks ago? No. I and my wife went away down to Swanage to see her sister. The master gave us a fortnight's holiday. Why?" "Oh--nothing," I replied. "I merely inquired as I want to clear up a mystery--that's all." "What mystery?" "The mystery of Miss Engledue--your master's niece," I answered. "But I've never heard of any niece," he said. "A young lady of about twenty-one with dark hair and eyes, and a beautiful complexion," I said. But the old servant's mind was a blank. "Of course, sir, many people come to visit Mr. De Gex. Horton would know them, but I don't. When the master is in town the servants are here, and I'm down in Cornwall at the castle." "Then you are only here as caretaker when the family is away?" "That's it, sir," he said. "But what is the mystery about this young lady? You said you knew Mr. De Gex, and yet you wanted to look over the house." "Yes," I responded with a laugh. "I have my own object--to clear up the mystery of Mr. De Gex's niece." "Well, as far as I know, he has no niece! But you could easily find out, I suppose!" The man was evidently no fool. "Of course I don't know who comes here, or who stays here when the family is in town," he went on. "I simply come up and look after the place with my wife." "Then you were away in Swanage during the first week of November?" I asked very seriously. "Yes, we went down on the last day of October, and we were back here in the middle of November. My wife's sister was very ill, and her husband didn't expect her to live. So I remember the dates only too well." "Then the family were in town on the date I mention." He considered a moment. "Oh! Of course they were. They must have been." I glanced again around the room, full of amazement and wonder. The man's failure to give me any details regarding the extremely attractive girl who had died upon his mistress's bed held me gripped in uncertainty. The mystery was even more puzzling now that I had started to investigate. As I stood in that room a thousand strange reflections flashed across my mind.