asked me to tell you he had to hurry back to London. I was also to
mention that he had got the whiskers."

"What whiskers? Whose whiskers?"

"That's all he said, sir--he'd got the whiskers."

"Why, Owd Ben's whiskers, of course. How dense you are, Jack!" put in
Hart.

Now, this was the first Robinson had heard of whiskers in connection
with the crime. He remembered Elkin's make-up as Svengali, of course, and
could have kicked himself for not associating earlier a set of sable
whiskers with the black wig and the bullet-torn hat.

But, Owd Ben! What figure did that redoubtable ghost cut in the mystery?

"There are certain _lacunae_ in your otherwise vigorous and thrilling
story, constable," went on Hart.

"Very likely, sir," agreed Robinson, much to the surprise of his
hearers. He had not the slightest notion what a _lacuna_, or its
plural, signified. He was only adopting Furneaux's advice, and trying
to be civil.

"Ah, you see that, do you?" said Hart. "Well, fill 'em in. When, where,
and how did the midget sleuth obtain the specter's hairy adornments?"

The policeman, whose wits were thoroughly on the alert, realized that he
had scored a point, though he knew not how.