surely her lodger's sudden seizure was enough to make her feel
worried. Hopkins felt the half-sovereign pleasantly tickling his
palm. The Paris Prefect of Police had given him only half-a-crown
--mean, shabby foreigner!

"Yes, sir; I can let you out that way," he said at last, "and p'raps
when you're standing out in the air, on the iron balcony, you'll feel
better. But then, you know, sir, you'll have to come round to the
front if you wants to come in again, for those emergency doors only
open outward."

"Yes, yes," said Mr. Sleuth hurriedly. "I quite understand! If I
feel better I'll come in by the front way, and pay another shilling
--that's only fair."

"You needn't do that if you'll just explain what happened here."

The man went and pulled the curtain aside, and put his shoulder
against the door. It burst open, and the light, for a moment,
blinded Mr. Sleuth.

He passed his hand over his eyes. "Thank you," he muttered, "thank
you. I shall get all right out there."

An iron stairway led down into a small stable yard, of which the
door opened into a side street.

Mr. Sleuth looked round once more; he really did feel very ill--
ill and dazed. How pleasant it would be to take a flying leap over
the balcony railing and find rest, eternal rest, below.