Quest smoked in silence for a moment.

“I guess the return of the jewels squelches the Macdougal theory,” he remarked.  “He wouldn’t be likely to part with the stuff when he’d once got his hands on it.  However, I always meant, when we had a moment’s spare time, to look into that fellow’s whereabouts.  We’ll take it on straight away.  Can’t do any harm.”

“I know the section boss on the railway at the spot where he disappeared,” Laura announced.

“Then just take the train down to Mountways—­that’s the nearest spot—­and get busy with him,” Quest directed.  “Try and persuade him to loan us the gang’s hand-car to go down the line.  Lenora and I will come on in the automobile.”

“Take you longer,” Lenora remarked, as she moved off to put on her jacket.  “The cars do it in half an hour.”

“Can’t help that,” Quest replied.  “Mrs. Rheinholdt’s coming here to identify her jewels at twelve o’clock, and I can’t run any risk of there being no train back.  You’d better be making good with the section boss.  Take plenty of bills with you.”

“Sure!  That’s easy enough,” Laura promised him.  “I’ll be waiting for you.”

She hurried off and Quest commenced his own preparations.  From his safe he took one of the small black lumps of explosive to which he had once before owed his life, and fitted it carefully in a small case with a coil of wire and an electric lighter.  He looked at his revolver and recharged it.  Finally he rang the bell for his confidential valet.

“Ross,” he asked, “who else is here to-day besides you?”

“No one to-day, sir.”

“Just as well, perhaps,” Quest observed.  “Listen, Ross.  I am going out now for an hour or two, but I shall be back at mid-day.  Remember that.  Mrs. Rheinholdt and Inspector French are to be here at twelve o’clock.  If by any chance I should be a few moments late, ask them to wait.  And, Ross, a young woman from the Salvation Army will call too.  You can give her this cheque.”

Ross Brown, who was Quest’s secretary-valet and general factotum, accepted the slip of paper and placed it in an envelope.

“There are no other instructions, sir?” he enquired.

“None,” Quest replied.  “You’ll look out for the wireless, and you had better switch the through cable and telegraph communication on to headquarters.  Come along, Lenora.”

They left the house, entered the waiting automobile, and drove rapidly towards the confines of the city.  Quest was unusually thoughtful.  Lenora, on the other hand, seemed to have lost a great deal of her usual self composure.  She seldom sat still for more than a moment or two together.  She was obviously nervous and excited.

“What’s got hold of you, Lenora?” Quest asked her once.  “You seem all fidgets.”

She glanced at him apologetically.

“I can’t help it,” she confessed.  “If you knew of the many sleepless nights I have had, of how I have racked my brain wondering what could have become of James, you wouldn’t really wonder that I am excited now that there is some chance of really finding out.  Often I have been too terrified to sleep.”