of the window for the window itself, and shot impulsively at the man he undoubtedly saw covering him from the trellis without.  But while this explained the shattering of the mirror, how about the other and still more vital question, of where the bullet went afterward?  Was the angle at which it had been fired acute enough to send it out of a window diagonally opposed?  No; even if the pistol had been held closer to the man firing it than she had reason to believe, the angle still would be oblique enough to carry it on to the further wall.

But no sign of any such impact had been discovered on this wall.  Consequently, the force of the bullet had been expended before reaching it, and when it fell—­

Here, her glance, slowly traveling along the floor, impetuously paused.  It had reached the spot where the two bodies had been found, and unconsciously her eyes rested there, conjuring up the picture of the bleeding father and the strangled child.  How piteous and how dreadful it all was.  If she could only understand—­ Suddenly she rose straight up, staring and immovable in the dim light.  Had the idea—­the explanation—­the only possible explanation covering the whole phenomena come to her at last?

It would seem so, for as she so stood, a look of conviction settled over her features, and with this look, evidences of a horror which for all her fast accumulating knowledge of life and its possibilities made her appear very small and very helpless.

A half-hour later, when Mrs. Hammond, in her anxiety at hearing nothing more from Miss Strange, opened the door of her room, it was to find, lying on the edge of the sill, the little detective’s card with these words hastily written across it: 

I do not feel as well as I could wish, and so have telephoned to my own coachman to come and take me home.  I will either see or write you within a few days.  But do not allow yourself to hope.  I pray you do not allow yourself the least hope; the outcome is still very problematical.

When Violet’s employer entered his office the next morning it was to find a veiled figure awaiting him which he at once recognized as that of his little deputy.  She was slow in lifting her veil and when it finally came free he felt a momentary doubt as to his wisdom in giving her just such a matter as this to investigate.  He was quite sure of his mistake when he saw her face, it was so drawn and pitiful.

“You have failed,” said he.

“Of that you must judge,” she answered; and drawing near she whispered in his ear.

“No!” he cried in his amazement.

“Think,” she murmured, “think.  Only so can all the facts be accounted for.”

“I will look into it; I will certainly look into it,” was his earnest reply.  “If you are right—­ But never mind that.  Go home and take a horseback ride in the Park.  When I have news in regard to this I will let you know.  Till then forget it all.  Hear me, I charge you to forget everything but your balls and your parties.”