"I know there was, and human blood. It's been examined!"

He stared at me fixedly. The thing was unspeakably uncanny.

"To-night," he went on, "I am remaining in here"--nodding toward
the Assyrian Room--"and I have so arranged it that no mortal being
can possibly know I am here. Mostyn is staying, and you can stay,
too, if you care to. Owing to Professor Deeping's will you are
badly involved in the beastly business, and I have no doubt you are
keen to see it through."

"I am," I admitted, "and the end I look for and hope for is the
recovery of the slipper by its murderous owners!"

"I am with you," said Bristol. "It's just a point of honour; but
I should be glad to make them a present of it. We're ostentatiously
placing a constable on duty in the hallway to-night--largely as a
blind. It will appear that we're taking no other additional
precautions."

He hurried off to make arrangements for my joining him in his watch,
and thus again I lost my opportunity of confiding in him regarding
the mysterious girl.

I half anticipated, though I cannot imagine why, that Earl Dexter
would put in an appearance, during the day. He did not do so,
however, for Bristol had put a constable on the door who was well
acquainted with the appearance of The Stetson Man. The inspector,
in the course of his investigations, had come upon what might have
been a clue, but what was at best a confusing one. Close by the