"Well," replied Villiers, "he was an old college friend
of mine."

"You don't say so? Have you ever seen his wife?"

"No, I haven't. I have lost sight of Herbert for many
years."

"It's queer, isn't it, parting with a man at the
college gate or at Paddington, seeing nothing of him for years,
and then finding him pop up his head in such an odd place. But
I should like to have seen Mrs. Herbert; people said
extraordinary things about her."

"What sort of things?"

"Well, I hardly know how to tell you. Everyone who saw
her at the police court said she was at once the most beautiful
woman and the most repulsive they had ever set eyes on. I have
spoken to a man who saw her, and I assure you he positively
shuddered as he tried to describe the woman, but he couldn't
tell why. She seems to have been a sort of enigma; and I expect
if that one dead man could have told tales, he would have told
some uncommonly queer ones. And there you are again in another
puzzle; what could a respectable country gentleman like Mr.
Blank (we'll call him that if you don't mind) want in such a
very queer house as Number 20? It's altogether a very odd case,
isn't it?"

"It is indeed, Austin; an extraordinary case. I