The lady ordered a hansom as she passed the night-porter and shortly after packed off her maid in the cab." "Her maid!" echoed Jennie.
"Yes.

The maid came down in ordinary street dress shortly after, deeply veiled, and drove away in the hansom; the lady paid her bill next morning and went to the eight o'clock Paris express, with carriage and pair, coachman and footman.

Of course it struck me that it might be the lady herself who had gone off in the cab, but a moment's reflection showed me that she was not likely to leave the hotel in a cab at midnight, and allow her maid to take the carriage in state next morning." "That doesn't appear reasonable," murmured Jennie.

"You made no attempt, then, to trace the maid ?" "Oh yes, we did.

We found the cabman who took her from Claridge's, and he left her at Charing Cross Station, but there all trace of her vanishes.