She frowned impatiently.

"I can assure you," she repeated, "that I saw the notes put inside an
empty envelope. Mr. Crawshay will tell you that my word is to be
relied upon."

"Implicitly, Miss Beverley," Crawshay pronounced emphatically, "but
under the circumstances I think no harm would be done if you allowed
our friend just to glance inside. The notes can easily be sealed up in
another envelope."

"Just as you like," she acquiesced coolly. "You will find nothing but
bills there."

Brightman tore open the envelope and glanced inside as though he did
not intend further to disturb it. Suddenly his face changed. He shook
out the contents upon the little table. They all three looked at the
pile of papers with varying expressions. In Katharine's face there was
nothing but blank bewilderment, in Crawshay's something of horror, in
the detective's a faint gleam of triumph. He pressed his finger down
on the heading of the first sheet of paper.

"I am not much of a German scholar," he observed. "How do you
translate that, Mr. Crawshay?"

Crawshay was silent for several moments. Then in a perfectly
mechanical tone he read out the heading:

"'List of our agents in New York and district who may be absolutely