taking　some　interest　in　their　conversation。
  〃Why　should　I？〃　she　asked。　〃Cannot　you　answer　my　question　here？〃
  〃If　madam　will　be　so　good；〃　he　persisted。
  She　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　followed　him。　Something　in　the　man's　earnest　tone　and　almost　pleading　look　convinced　her；　at　least；　of　his　good　intentions。　Besides；　the　interest　which　her　question　had　undoubtedly　aroused　amongst　the　bystanders　was；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　embarrassing。　He　pulled　the　door　to　after　them。
  〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃there　was　a　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　who　came　over　by　the　Lusitania；　and　who　had　certainly　engaged　rooms　in　this　hotel；　but　he　unfortunately；　it　seems；　met　with　an　accident　on　his　way　from　Liverpool。〃
  Her　manner　changed　at　once。　She　began　to　understand　what　it　all　meant。　Her　lips　parted；　her　eyes　were　wide　open。
  〃An　accident？〃　she　faltered。
  He　gently　rolled　a　chair　up　to　her。　She　sank　obediently　into　it。
  〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　a　very　bad　accident　indeed。　I　trust　that　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　was　not　a　very　intimate　friend　or　a　relative　of　yours。　It　would　perhaps　be　better　for　you　to　read　the　account　for　yourself。〃
  He　placed　a　newspaper　in　her　hands。　She　read　the　first　few　lines　and　suddenly　turned　upon　him。　She　was　white　to　the　lips　now；　and　there　was　real　terror　in　her　tone。　Yet　if　he　had　been　in　a　position　to　have　analyzed　the　emotion　she　displayed；　he　might　have　remarked　that　there　was　none　of　the　surprise；　the　blank；　unbelieving　amazement　which　might　have　been　expected　from　one　hearing　for　the　first　time　of　such　a　calamity。
  〃Murdered！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Is　this　true？〃
  〃It　appears　to　be　perfectly　true；　madam；　I　regret　to　say；〃　the　clerk　answered。　〃Even　the　earlier　editions　were　able　to　supply　the　man's　name；　and　I　am　afraid　that　there　is　no　doubt　about　his　identity。　The　captain　of　the　Lusitania　confirmed　it；　and　many　of　the　passengers　who　saw　him　leave　the　ship　last　night　have　been　interviewed。〃
  〃Murdered！〃　she　repeated　to　herself　with　trembling　lips。　〃It　seems　such　a　horrible　death！　Have　they　any　idea　who　did　it？〃　she　asked。　〃Has　any　one　been　arrested？〃
  〃At　present；　no；　madam；〃　the　clerk　answered。　〃The　affair；　as　you　will　see　if　you　read　further；　is　an　exceedingly　mysterious　one。〃
  She　rocked　a　little　in　her　chair；　but　she　showed　no　signs　of　fainting。　She　picked　up　the　paper　and　found　the　place　once　more。　There　were　two　columns　filled　with　particulars　of　the　tragedy。
  〃Where　can　I　be　alone　and　read　this？〃　she　asked。
  〃Here；　if　you　please；　madam；〃　the　clerk　answered。　〃I　must　go　back　to　my　desk。　There　are　many　arrivals　just　now。　Will　you　allow　me　to　send　you　somethinga　little　brandy；　perhaps？〃
  〃Nothing；　thank　you；〃　she　answered。　〃I　wish　only　to　be　alone　while　I　read　this。〃
  He　left　her　with　a　little　sympathetic　murmur；　and　closed　the　door　behind　him。　The　girl　raised　her　veil　now　and　spread　the　newspaper　out　on　the　table　before　her。　There　was　an　account　of　the　tragedy；　there　were　interviews　with　some　of　the　passengers；　a　message　from　the　captain。　In　all；　it　seemed　that　wonderfully　little　was　known　of　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes。　He　had　spoken　to　scarcely　a　soul　on　board；　and　had　remained　for　the　greater　part　of　the　time　in　his　stateroom。　The　captain　had　not　even　been　aware　of　his　existence　till　the　moment　when　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　had　sought　him　out　and　handed　him　an　order；　signed　by　the　head　of　his　company；　instructing　him　to　obey　in　any　respect　the　wishes　of　this　hitherto　unknown　passenger。　The　tug　which　had　been　hired　to　meet　him　had　gone　down　the　river；　so　it　was　not　possible；　for　the　moment；　to　say　by　whom　it　had　been　chartered。　The　station…master　at　Liverpool　knew　nothing　except　that　the　letter　presented　to　him　by　the　dead　man　was　a　personal　one　from　a　great　railway　magnate；　whose　wishes　it　was　impossible　to　disregard。　There　had　not　been　a　soul；　apparently；　upon　the　steamer　who　had　known　anything　worth　mentioning　of　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　or　his　business。　No　one　in　London　had　made　inquiries　for　him　or　claimed　his　few　effects。　Half　a　dozen　cables　to　America　remained　unanswered。
  That　papers　had　been　stolen　from　himpapers　or　moneywas　evident　from　the　place　of　concealment　in　his　coat；　where　the　lining　had　been　torn　away；　but　there　was　not　the　slightest　evidence　as　to　the　nature　of　these　documents　or　the　history　of　the　murdered　man。　All　that　could　be　done　was　to　await　the　news　from　the　other　side；　which　was　momentarily　expected。
  The　girl　went　through　it　all；　line　by　line；　almost　word　by　word。　Whatever　there　might　have　been　of　relationship　or　friendship　between　her　and　the　dead　man；　the　news　of　his　terrible　end　left　her　shaken；　indeed；　but　dry…eyed。　She　was　apparently　more　terrified　than　grieved；　and　now　that　the　first　shock　had　passed　away；　her　mind　seemed　occupied　with　thoughts　which　may　indeed　have　had　some　connection　with　this　tragedy；　but　were　scarcely　wholly　concerned　with　it。　She　sat　for　a　long　while　with　her　hands　still　resting　upon　the　table　but　her　eyes　fixed　out　of　the　window。　Then　at　last　she　rose　and　made　her　way　outside。　Her　friend　the　reception　clerk　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　one　or　two　men；　a　conversation　of　which　she　was　obviously　the　subject。　As　she　opened　the　door；　one　of　them　broke　off　in　the　midst　of　what　he　was　saying　and　would　have　accosted　her。　The　clerk；　however；　interposed；　and　drew　her　a　step　or　two　back　into　the　room。
  〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃one　of　these　gentlemen　is　from　Scotland　Yard；　and　the　others　are　reporters。　They　are　all　eager　to　know　anything　about　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes。　I　expect　they　will　want　to　ask　you　some　questions。〃
  The　girl　opened　her　lips　and　closed　them　again。
  〃I　regret　to　say　that　I　have　nothing　whatever　to　tell　them；〃　she　declared。　〃Will　you　kindly　let　them　know　that？〃
  The　clerk　shook　his　head。
  〃I　am　afraid　you　will　find　them　quite　persistent；　madam；〃　he　said。
  〃I　cannot　tell　them　things　which　I　do　not　know　myself；〃　she　answered；　frowning。
  〃Naturally；〃　the　clerk　admitted；　〃yet　these　gentlemen　from　Scotland　Yard　have　special　privileged；　of　course；　and　there　remains　the　fact　that　you　were　engaged　to　lunch　with　Mr。　Fynes　here。〃
  〃If　it　will　help　me　to　get　rid　of　them；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　speak　to　the　representative　of　Scotland　Yard。　I　will　have　nothing　whatever　to　say　to　the　reporters。〃
  The　clerk　turned　round　and　beckoned　to　the　foremost　figure　in　the　little　group。　Inspector　Jacks；　tall；　lantern…jawed；　dressed　with　the　quiet　precision　of　a　well…to…do…man　of　affairs；　and　with　no　possible　suggestion　of　his　calling　in　his　manner　or　attire；　was　by　her　side　almost　at　once。
  〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃I　understand　that　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　was　a　friend　of　yours？〃
  〃An　acquaintance；〃　she　corrected　him。
  〃And　your　name？〃　he　asked。
  〃I　am　Miss　Morse；〃　she　replied；〃Miss　Penelope　Morse。〃
  〃You　were　to　have　lunched　here　with　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　the　detective　continued。　〃When；　may　I　ask；　did　the　invitation　reach　you？〃
  〃Yesterday；〃　she　told　him；　〃by　marconigram　from　Queenstown。〃
  〃You　can　tell　us　a　few　things　about　the　deceased；　without　doubt；〃　Mr。　Jacks　said；〃his　profession；　for　instance；　or　his　social　standing？　Perhaps　you　know　the　reason　for　his　coming　to　Europe？〃
  The　girl　shook　her　head。
  〃Mr。　Fynes　and　I　were　not　intimately　acquainted；〃　she　answered。　〃We　met　in　Paris　some　years　ago；　and　when　he　was　last　in　London；　during　the　autumn；　I　lunched　with　him　twice。〃
  〃You　had　no　letter　from　him；　then；　previous　to　the　marconigram？〃　the　inspector　asked。
  〃I　have　scarcely　ever　received　a　letter　from　him　in　my　life；〃　she　answered。　〃He　was　as　bad　a　correspondent　as　I　am　myself。〃
  〃You　know　nothing；　then；　of　the　object　of　his　present　visit　to　England？〃
  〃Nothing　whatever；〃　she　answered。
  〃When　he　was　over　here　before；〃　the　inspector　asked；　〃do　you　know　what　his　business　was　then？〃
  〃Not　in　the　least；〃　she　replied。
  〃You　can　tell　us　his　address　in　the　States？〃　Inspector　Jacks　suggested。
  She　shook　her　head。
  〃I　cannot；〃　she　answered。　〃As　I　told　you　just　now；　I　have　never　had　a　letter　from　him　in　my　life。　We　exchanged　a　few　notes；　perhaps；　when　we　were　in　Paris；　about　trivial　matters；　but　nothing　more　than　that。〃
  〃He　must　at　some　time；　in　Paris；　for　instance；　or　when　you　lunched　with　him　last　year；　have　said　something　about　his　profession；　or　how　he　spent　his　time？〃
  〃He　never　alluded　to　it　in　any　way；〃　the　girl　answered。　〃I　have　not　the　slightest　idea　how　he　passed　his　time。〃
  The　inspector　was　a　little　nonplussed。　He　did　not　for　a　moment　believe　that　the　girl　was　telling　the　truth。
  〃Perhaps；〃　he　said　tentatively；　〃you　do　not　care　to　have　your　name　come　before　the　public　in　connection　with　a　case　so　notorious　as　this？〃
  〃Naturally；〃　the　girl　answered。　〃That；　however；　would　not　prevent　my　telling　you　anything　that　I　knew。　You　seem　to　find　it　hard　to　believe；　but　I　can　assure　you　that　I　know　nothing。　Mr。　Fynes　was　almost　a　stranger　to　me。〃
  The　detective　was　thoughtful。
  〃So　you　really　cannot　help　us　at　all；　madam？〃　he　said　at　length。
  〃I　am　afraid　not；〃　she　answered。
  〃Perhaps；〃　he　suggested；　〃after　you　have　thought　the　matter　over；　something　may　occur　to　you。　Can　I　trouble　you　for　your　address？〃
  〃I　am　staying　at　Devenham　House　for　the　moment；〃　she　answered。
  He　wrote　it　down　in　his　notebook。
  〃I　shall　perhaps　do　myself　the　hono