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"No," I confessed, "I never thought of such a thing"

"He is, of course, a Gerh he has practiced so long in this country that nobody thinks of hilisho A very clever nantly

"Not at all He is, on the contrary, a patriot Think what he stands to lose I admire the man myself"

But I could not look at it in Poirot's philosophical way

"And this is theabout all over the country!" I cried indignantly

"Yes I should fancy he had found her very useful," re their naaries of the doctor's passed unobserved"

"Then you think he never really cared for her?" I asked eagerly--rather too eagerly, perhaps, under the circumstances

"That, of course, I cannot say, but--shall I tell you s?"

"Yes"

"Well, it is this: that Mrs Cavendish does not care, and never has cared one little jot about Dr Bauerstein!"

"Do you really think so?" I could not disguise my pleasure

"I am quite sure of it And I will tell you why"

"Yes?"

"Because she cares for some one else, reeable warmth spread over me I am not a vain man where wohtly thought of at the time, perhaps, but which certainly seehts were interrupted by the sudden entrance of Miss Howard She glanced round hastily to make sure there was no one else in the room, and quickly produced an old sheet of brown paper This she handed to Poirot,as she did so the cryptic words: "On top of the wardrobe" Then she hurriedly left the rooerly, and uttered an exclamation of satisfaction He spread it out on the table

"Cos Now tell me, what is that initial--J or L?"

It was a h it had lain by for so Poirot's attention At the top, it bore the printed stamp of Messrs Parkson's, the well-known theatrical costumiers, and it was addressed to "--(the debatable initial) Cavendish, Esq, Styles Court, Styles St Mary, Essex"