"Yes," said Tilly, in a frightened voice, and fished in the pocket of her blue dress. "This and this. One was in the kitchen, the ribbon, and t'other was on the sitting-room floor." The object found on the sitting-room floor was the invitation sent by Starth to Lancaster asking him to call. Probably Starth, for the furtherance of the plot, had taken it out of Frank's pocket when he lay insensible, intending to destroy it, but had forgotten to do so. It must have lain unnoticed on the floor till picked up by Tilly. "And you found this before the police came?" "Yes, sir. I should have told 'em, but I was that scared as I didn't." "You did very wrong," said Eustace, severely. "The coroner insisted that the deceased did not ask Lancaster to see him, and this is the proof that he did. What about the ribbon?" "I found it in the kitchen," said Tilly, in a subdued voice. "It is a tarting ribbon, and I thought it pretty." "Have you worn it?" "No, sir, and I ain't told anyone of it." "I'll take charge of these," said Eustace, putting the articles into his pocket. "Say nothing about them. Now, did you find the window as you left it when you returned?" "No," whimpered Tilly. "When I went in to lock it for the night it wos close shut and locked." "Did Mrs. Betts do that?" "No. She weren't in the room." "Observe," said Eustace, "how foolish you have been not to state this. The person who killed Starth must have entered by the window, and have locked it when within. He afterwards left by the door." "She couldn't have got in through the winder." "What do you mean?" "Well, sir," said Tilly, with hesitation, "that tarting ribbon wos worn by a woman, as it ain't a necktie." Eustace was also of this opinion after some reflection, and wondered if Starth could have been killed by a woman. He asked Tilly several other questions, but could learn nothing new from her. Then, having taken possession of the address--that written by his former housekeeper--he left the house. The last he saw of Mrs. Burl, she and Tilly were struggling with Mrs. Betts for the possession of a very small green trunk, and the waiting cabman was applauding the fight. Evidently some new trouble in connection with the three days' notice was taking place. However, Eustace had more serious things to think of, and washed his hands completely of Mrs. Burl, after her ungrateful behaviour. He lost no time in taking the Underground to the City, and thence departed for the Docks. After a dull journey he repaired to the address mentioned in the paper. It was a certain number in a narrow lane which led down to the water's edge. On the right-hand side of this Eustace found a respectable-looking house, painted a spotless white, and with green shutters. It would not have disgraced a new suburb. The doorstep was also white, and the brass knocker polished to a painful brilliancy. Amidst all the other frowsy houses that of Balkis looked fresh and clean and genteel.