Trudaine a conspirator! Bah! conspiracy can hardly be the answer to the riddle this time.

What is ?" He took a turn or two in silence--then stopped at the open window, looking out on what little glimpse the street afforded him of the sunset sky.

"This time five years," he said, "Trudaine was talking to me on that bench overlooking the river; and Sister Rose was keeping poor hatchet-faced old Lomaque's cup of coffee hot for him! Now I am officially bound to suspect them both; perhaps to arrest them; perhaps--I wish this job had fallen into other hands.

I don't want it--I don't want it at any price!" He returned to the writing-table and sat down to his papers, with the dogged air of a man determined to drive away vexing thoughts by dint of sheer hard work.

For more than an hour he labored on resolutely, munching a bit of dry bread from time to time.