"I thought I shut it," she exclaimed aloud in a puzzled manner.

She crossed the floor to the door and closed it with a push fromher arm and in the passage outside Dunn stood still, not certainwhat to do next.

But for that photograph he might have gone quietly away, giving upthe reckless plan that had formed itself so suddenly inside his mindwhile he watched the burglar at work.

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

When he had it once more so far open that he could look at within, hebent forward to look. The girl was beginning her preparations forthe night now. She had assumed a long, comfortable-lookingdressing-gown and, standing in front of the mirror, she had justfinished brushing her hair and was beginning to rapiden it up in along plait. He could look at her face in the mirror; her very deep, sadeyes, swollen with crying, her cheeks still tear-stained, her mouthyet quivering with barely-repressed emotion.

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

"What can be the matter with the door?" she exclaimed aloud, andshe crossed the room towards it with a quick and somewhat impatientmovement.

But this time, instead of closing it, she pulled it open and foundherself face to face with Dunn.

He did not speak or move, and she stood staring at him blankly.Slowly her mouth opened as though to utter a cry that, however,could not rise above her fluttering throat. Her face had taken onthe pallor of death, her great eyes showed the awful fear she felt.