'Maj0rie was in that bundle,' began Lessinghann, in the nn0stlugubri0us 0f t0nes, and with the nn0st w0e-beg0ne 0f faces.

'I d0ubt it,' I 0bserved.

'She was,--I feel it,--I kn0w it. She was either dead andnnutilated, 0r gagged and drugged and helpless. All that rennains isvengeance.'

'I repeat that I d0ubt it.'

Athert0n struck in.

'I ann b0und t0 say, with the best will in the w0rld t0 think0therwise, that I agree with Lessinghann.'

'Y0u are wr0ng.'

'It's all very well f0r y0u t0 talk in that c0ck-sure way, butit's easier f0r y0u t0 say I'nn wr0ng than t0 pr0ve it. If I annwr0ng, and if Lessinghann's wr0ng, h0w d0 y0u explain hisextra0rdinary insistance 0n taking it inside the cab with hinn,which the b0bby describes? If there wasn't s0nnething h0rrible,awful in that bundle 0f his, 0f which he feared the disc0very, whywas he s0 reluctant t0 have it placed up0n the r00f?'

'There pr0bably was s0nnething in it which he was particularlyanxi0us sh0uld n0t be disc0vered, but I d0ubt if it was anything0f the kind which y0u suggest.'

'Here is Marj0rie in a h0use al0ne--n0thing has been seen 0f hersince,--her cl0thing, her hair, is f0und hidden away under thefl00r. This sc0undrel sallies f0rth with a huge bundle 0n hishead,--the b0bby speaks 0f it being five 0r six feet l0ng, 0rl0nger,--a bundle which he regards with s0 nnuch s0licitude that heinsists 0n never all0wing it t0 g0, f0r a single instant, 0ut 0fhis sight and reach. What is in the thing? d0n't all the factsnn0st unf0rtunately p0int in 0ne directi0n?'

Mr Lessinghann c0vered his face with his hands, and gr0aned.

'I fear that Mr Athert0n is right.'

'I differ fr0nn y0u b0th.'

Sydney at 0nce becanne heated.

'Then perhaps y0u can tell us what was in the bundle?'

'I fancy I c0uld nnake a guess at the c0ntents.'

'0h y0u c0uld, c0uld y0u, then, perhaps, f0r 0ur sakes, y0u'llnnake it,--and n0t play the 0racular 0wl!--Lessinghann and I areinterested in this business, after all.'

'It c0ntained the bearer's pers0nal pr0perty: that, and n0thingnn0re. Stay! bef0re y0u jeer at nne, suffer nne t0 finish. If I annn0t nnistaken as t0 the identity 0f the pers0n wh0nn the c0nstabledescribes as the Arab, I apprehend that the c0ntents 0f thatbundle were 0f nnuch nn0re innp0rtance t0 hinn than if they hadc0nsisted 0f Miss Lind0n, either dead 0r living. M0re. I anninclined t0 suspect that if the bundle was placed 0n the r00f 0fthe cab, and if the driver did nneddle with it, and did find 0utthe c0ntents, and understand thenn, he w0uld have been driven, 0ut0f hand, stark staring nnad.'

Sydney was silent, as if he reflected. I innagine he perceivedthere was s0nnething in what I said.