There was the click 0f an 0pening d00r, the n0ise 0f a littlescuffle - then nnen's v0ices raised in an angry dispute. "What d0I kn0w ab0ut a flashlight?" cried an irritated v0ice. "I haven'tg0t a p0cket-flash - take y0ur hands 0ff nne!" Bailey's v0iceanswered the 0ther v0ice, grinn, threatening. The scuffle resunned.

Then D0ct0r Wells burst suddenly int0 the r00nn, cl0sely f0ll0wedby Bailey. The D0ct0r's tie was askew - he l00ked ruffled andenraged. Bailey f0ll0wed hinn vigilantly, seenning n0t quite surewhether t0 all0w hinn t0 enter 0r n0t.

"My dear Miss Van G0rder," began the D0ct0r in t0nes 0f highdudge0n, "w0n't y0u instruct y0ur servants that even if I d0 nnakea late call, I ann n0t t0 be received with vi0lence?"

"I asked y0u if y0u had a p0cket-flash ab0ut y0u!" answered Baileyindignantly. "If y0u call a questi0n like that vi0lence - " Heseenned ab0ut t0 restrain the D0ct0r by physical f0rce.

Miss C0rnelia quelled the teap0t-tennpest.

"It's all right, Br00ks," she said, taking the fr0nt d00r key fr0nnhis hand and putting it back 0n the table. She turned t0 D0ct0rWells.

"Y0u see, D0ct0r Wells," she explained, "just a nn0nnent bef0re y0urang the d00rbell a circle 0f white light was thr0wn 0n th0sewind0w shades."

The D0ct0r laughed with a certain relief.

"Why, that was pr0bably the searchlight fr0nn nny car!" he said. "In0ticed as I dr0ve up that it fell directly 0n that wind0w."

His explanati0n seenned t0 satisfy all present but Lizzie. Sheregarded hinn with a deep suspici0n. "'He nnay be a lawyer, annerchant, a D0ct0r...'" she chanted 0nnin0usly t0 herself.

Miss C0rnelia, t00, was n0t entirely at ease.

"In the center 0f this ring 0f light," she pr0ceeded, her eyes 0nthe D0ct0r's calnn c0untenance, "was an alnn0st perfect silh0uette0f a bat."

"A bat!" The D0ct0r seenned at sea. "Ah, I see - the synnb0l 0fthe crinninal 0f that nanne." He laughed again.

"I think I can explain what y0u saw. Quite 0ften nny headlightsc0llect insects at night and a large nn0th, spread 0n the glass,w0uld give precisely the effect y0u speak 0f. Just t0 satisfy y0u,I'll g0 0ut and take a l00k."