"You could not identify her in any way?" "Not by her personal appearance, sir; but she did wear a peculiar ring. On Saturday she was paying her cab, and took off her right-hand glove to find a piece of gold which had slipped into a corner of her purse. I then noticed that on the third finger she wore a silver ring set with three blue stones." "Turquoise stones, no doubt," said Torry. "I'll make a note of that, as I should like to know who this woman is." "But, sir!" cried Meek in dismay, "you don't think this lady has had anything to do with the murder?" Torry shrugged his shoulders. "As to that," he remarked tritely, "I can only say that a woman is at the bottom of every trouble. This may be the woman concerned in this especial affair." At this moment Mr. Leighbourne arrived according to appointment, and, with Torry, he was conducted up stairs into the chambers of the late Mr. Grent. These had a damp musty smell as though they had been uninhabited for some time, and both bedroom and sitting-room were in a state of great confusion. Travelling-rugs, dressing-bags, and portmanteaux were scattered about the sitting-room, and in the bedroom there were piles of shirts, heaps of clothes, and all the impedimenta of a man bound on a long journey. What particularly struck Torry was the presence of a large American trunk, half full of wearing apparel. "That is a big box to take on a short journey," said he thoughtfully. "I don't call a journey to Italy a short one," replied Leighbourne, who looked worried and ill, and spoke sharply. "It takes two days and two nights to reach Florence." "Maybe, sir. But Mr. Grent intended to stay only two weeks according to Meek, here." "Yes, sir," chimed in the deferential butler, "Only two weeks." "In which case," continued the detective, "he would hardly need so many clothes. A portmanteau of that size and a dressing-bag would have contained ample, unless," added Torry, looking at Leighbourne, "Mr. Grent was a masher." The young banker laughed. "No, indeed," said he, with assumed lightness, "my poor friend cared nothing for dress." "Then," said Torry decisively, "you may be sure, he intended to take a much longer journey than you suppose." "But he said he was going to Italy." "He might have said so as a blind, but he certainly did not intend to go there, or," added Torry, with emphasis, "if he did it was to reach Naples or Brindisi and catch an out-going liner to Australia. Ha!" Torry stopped speaking and slapped his thigh. "What's the matter, sir?" asked the butler nervously. "Oh, you are there," said Torry turning sharply on him. "Then you can go downstairs. If I need you I'll ring." "But can't I be of service here sir," urged Meek who was filled with curiosity.