"Mr. Quest," he began, "in a sense I must apologise for my peremptory
message. I am well aware that an ordinary jewel robbery does not interest
you, but in this case the circumstances are extraordinary. I ventured,
therefore, to summon your aid."

Sanford Quest nodded shortly.

"As a rule," he said, "I do not care to take up one affair until I have a
clean slate. There's your skeleton still bothering me, Professor. However,
where's the lady who was robbed?"

"I will take you to her," the Professor replied. Mrs. Rheinholdt's story,
by frequent repetition, had become a little more coherent, a trifle more
circumstantial, the perfection of simplicity and utterly incomprehensible.
Quest listened to it without remark and finally made his way to the
conservatory. He requested Mrs. Rheinholdt to walk with him through the
door by which she had entered, and stop at the precise spot where the
assault had been made upon her. There were one or two plants knocked down
from the tiers on the right-hand side, and some disturbance in the mould
where some large palms were growing. Quest and Lenora together made a
close investigation of the spot. Afterwards, Quest walked several times to
each of the doors leading into the gardens.

"There are four entrances altogether," he remarked, as he lit a cigar and
glanced around the place. "Two lead into the gardens--one is locked and
the other isn't--one connects with the back of the house--the one through
which you came, Mrs. Rheinholdt, and the other leads into your reception
room, into which you passed after the assault. I shall now be glad if you
will permit me to examine the gardens outside for a few minutes, alone