Drillford looked at the elder lady.

"I know, practically, no more than Miss Wickham has told you," said Mrs.
Killenhall. "Mr. Ashton and I got in touch with each other through his
advertisement in the _Morning Post_. We exchanged references, and I
came here."

"Ah!" said Drillford. "And--what might his references be, now?"

"To his bankers, the London and Orient, in Threadneedle Street," answered
Mrs. Killenhall promptly. "And to his solicitors, Crawle, Pawle and
Rattenbury, of Bedford Bow."

"Very satisfactory they were, no doubt, ma'am?" suggested Drillford.

Mrs. Killenhall let her eye run round the appointments of the room.

"Eminently so," she said dryly. "Mr. Ashton was a very wealthy man."

Drillford pulled out a pocketbook and entered the names which Mrs.
Killenhall had just mentioned.

"The solicitors will be able to tell something," he murmured as he put
the book back. "We'll communicate with them first thing in the
morning. But just two questions before I go. Can you tell me anything
about Mr. Ashton's usual habits? Had he any business? What did he do
with his time?"

"He was out a great deal," said Mrs. Killenhall. "He used to go down to
the City. He was often out of an evening. Once, since I came here, he