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"I certainly never reh of course that's no real proof But if this horrible idea is correct how are you going to prove it? You don't intend to tackle Tochatti herself, I suppose?"

"Not for the world," said Anstice hastily "That would be a fatal ue of this kind without incurring suspicion is sufficiently clever to answer any direct questioning satisfactorily No If Tochatti is the culprit--uile, made to commit herself somehow, or be taken red-handed in the act----" He broke off suddenly; and the other two looked at him in surprise

"Well, Anstice, what's struck you now?" Sir Richard's tone was eager

"Only this Is your writing-table always open to access, Mrs Carstairs? I mean, you don't lock up your ink and pens, and so on?"

"No," she said, catching the drift of his questions at once "Anyone in the house could sit down here to write and be sure of finding everything at hand"

"Just so--and unless the person rote was considerate enough to use the blotting-paper you would not know anyone had touched your things"

"No--unless they were left strewn untidily about"

"Which they would not be Now, Mrs Carstairs, to speak quite plainly, what is there to prevent Tochatti, or any otherdownstairs at the dead of night anduse of those pens and sheets of paper which you so obligingly leave about for anyone to play with?"

"Nothing," she said with a smile "But unless you propose that I should sit up behind the curtains all night to see if some mysterious person does creep down----"

"That's just what I was going to propose," he said coolly "At least I wasn't suggesting that you should be the person; but you ht allow someone else to sit there on your behalf You see, if Tochatti is really the mysterious writer she would not like to run the risk of keeping pens and ink in her own rooht upon the to use another person's tools, and it is quite possible many, if not all, of those beastly letters ritten at this very table!"

The conviction in his tone brought forth a protest from Chloe