the room was a big one and most of the furniture had been clearedout to admit the guests who had come from the ends of the earth tolearn the story of the twisted candles, and to test john lexman'stheory by their own.

they sat around chatting cheerfully of men and crimes, of greatcoups planned and frustrated, of strange deeds committed andundetected. scraps of their conversation came to belinda mary asshe stood in the chintz-draped doorway which led from thedrawing-room to the room she used as a study.

". . . do you remember, sir george, the bolbrook case! i took theman at odessa . . . ."". . . the curious thing was that i found no money on the body,only a small gold charm set with a single emerald, so i knew itwas the girl with the fur bonnet who had . . ."". . . pinot got away after putting three bullets into me, but idragged myself to the window and shot him dead - it was a realgood shot . . . !"they rose to meet her and t. x. introduced her to the men. it wasat that moment that john lexman was announced.

he looked tired, but returned the commissioner's greeting with acheerful mien. he knew all the men present by name, as they knewhim. he had a few sheets of notes, which he laid on the littletable which had been placed for him, and when the introductionswere finished he went to this and with scarcely any preliminarybegan.