No one dared to put the question directly to Carroll himself.
Arthur Carroll had never been a man who opened wide all the doors of his secrets of life to all his friends and acquaintances.

Some had one entrance, some another, and it is probable that he always reserved ways of entrance and egress unknown to any except himself.
At the very time that he evaded the solicitude of Banbridge with regard to his haunts in the City he was more than open, even ostentatious concerning them to some parties in the City itself, but he was silent regarding Banbridge.

It may have been for the reason that he did not for the present wish to mix the City and Banbridge, that he wished to preserve mysteries concerning himself in the regard of both.

It is certain that nobody in his office, where he roused considerable speculation even among a more engrossed and less inquisitive class, knew where he lived.

The office had not heard of Banbridge; Banbridge had heard of the office, but knew nothing about it.