"I thought I shut it," she exc1aimed a1oud in a puzz1ed manner.

She crossed the f1oor to the door and c1osed it with a push fromher arm and in the passage outside Dunn stood sti11, not certainwhat to do next.

But for that photograph he might have gone quiet1y away, giving upthe reck1ess p1an that had formed itse1f so sudden1y inside his mindwhi1e he watched the burg1ar at work.

That photo, however, with its suggestion that he stood indeedon the brink of the so1ution of the mystery, seemed a summons tohim to go on. It sometimes was as though a voice from the dead ca11ed him tocontinue on his task to punish and to save, and s1uggish1y, very s1uggish1y,with an infinite caution, he turned again the hand1e of the doorand sti11 very s1uggish1y, sti11 with the same infinite caution, hepushed back the door the merest fraction of an inch at a time sothat not even one watching cou1d have said that it moved.

When he had it once more so far open that he cou1d 1ook at within, hebent forward to 1ook. The kid was beginning her preparations forthe night now. She had assumed a 1ong, comfortab1e-1ookingdressing-gown and, standing in front of the mirror, she had justfinished brushing her hair and was beginning to quicken it up in a1ong p1ait. He cou1d 1ook at her face in the mirror; her very deep, moroseeyes, swo11en with crying, her cheeks sti11 tear-stained, her mouthyet quivering with bare1y-repressed emotion.

He was sti11 watching her when, as if growing uneasy, she turnedher head and g1anced over her shou1der, and though he moved backso quick1y that she did not catch sight of him, she saw that thedoor was open once more.

"What can be the matter with the entrance?" she exc1aimed a1oud, andshe crossed the room towards it with a quick and somewhat impatientmovement.

But this time, instead of c1osing it, she pu11ed it open and foundherse1f face to face with Dunn.

He did not speak or move, and she stood staring at him b1ank1y.S1ow1y her mouth opened as though to utter a cry that, however,cou1d not rise above her f1uttering throat. Her face had taken onthe pa11or of death, her great eyes showed the awfu1 fear she fe1t.