The lieutenant took out his pocket-book.

“Mr. Carlyle asked me for one.  Here is the best I could get.”

Carrados rang the bell.

“This, Parkinson,” he said, when the man appeared, “is a photograph of a Mr. ——­ What first name, by the way?”

“Austin,” put in Hollyer, who was following everything with a boyish mixture of excitement and subdued importance.

“—­of a Mr. Austin Creake.  I may require you to recognize him.”

Parkinson glanced at the print and returned it to his master’s hand.

“May I inquire if it is a recent photograph of the gentleman, sir?” he asked.

“About six years ago,” said the lieutenant, taking in this new actor in the drama with frank curiosity.  “But he is very little changed.”

“Thank you, sir.  I will endeavour to remember Mr. Creake, sir.”

Lieutenant Hollyer stood up as Parkinson left the room.  The interview seemed to be at an end.

“Oh, there’s one other matter,” he remarked.  “I am afraid that I did rather an unfortunate thing while I was at Brookbend.  It seemed to me that as all Millicent’s money would probably pass into Creake’s hands sooner or later I might as well have my five hundred pounds, if only to help her with afterwards.  So I broached the subject and said that I should like to have it now as I had an opportunity for investing.”

“And you think?”

“It may possibly influence Creake to act sooner than he otherwise might have done.  He may have got possession of the principal even and find it very awkward to replace it.”

“So much the better.  If your sister is going to be murdered it may as well be done next week as next year so far as I am concerned.  Excuse my brutality, Mr. Hollyer, but this is simply a case to me and I regard it strategically.  Now Mr. Carlyle’s organization can look after Mrs. Creake for a few weeks, but it cannot look after her for ever.  By increasing the immediate risk we diminish the permanent risk.”

“I see,” agreed Hollyer.  “I’m awfully uneasy but I’m entirely in your hands.”

“Then we will give Mr. Creake every inducement and every opportunity to get to work.  Where are you staying now?”

“Just now with some friends at St. Albans.”

“That is too far.”  The inscrutable eyes retained their tranquil depth but a new quality of quickening interest in the voice made Mr. Carlyle forget the weight and burden of his ruffled dignity.  “Give me a few minutes, please.  The cigarettes are behind you, Mr. Hollyer.”  The blind man walked to the window and seemed to look out over the cypress-shaded lawn.  The lieutenant lit a cigarette and Mr. Carlyle picked up Punch.  Then Carrados turned round again.

“You are prepared to put your own arrangements aside?” he demanded of his visitor.

“Certainly.”

“Very well.  I want you to go down now—­straight from here—­to Brookbend Cottage.  Tell your sister that your leave is unexpectedly cut short and that you sail to-morrow.”