Nick thanked Mr. Jones for his courtesy, and immediately withdrew. But
he did not go far.

In a convenient doorway he wrote a note to Chick, on the back of the
scrap of paper which Jones had given him, and sealed it in an envelope.

Then he sent Gaspard with it to Chick, who was on the lookout in the
undertaker's room, where the body lay.

Having dispatched this message, Nick changed his disguise and kept watch
over the establishment of Allen, Morse & Jones.

Nothing of importance happened until a little after noon, when a reply
came from Chick.

Translated from the detective's cipher, it read as follows:

"The address is that of a good flat house. Jones lives there with
his wife.

"They have been there only about two months. Nobody in the house
knows anything about them.

"They had one servant, who was taken sick about two weeks ago and
carried to a hospital, where she died.

"Since then they have lived absolutely alone. There was nobody in
the house who had seen Mrs. Jones' face. She always wore a heavy
veil.