‘Has Miss Payne come this morning?’ he asked casually of the girl, patting the poster like an artist absorbed in his work.

It was a reckless question.  He well knew that in half an hour the whole basement would be aware that Mr. Hugo had asked after Miss Payne, but he scorned the whole basement.

‘Miss who, sir?’

‘Miss Payne, of the millinery department.’

‘A tall young lady, sir?’

‘Yes.’

‘With chestnut hair?’

‘Now you have me,’ he lied.

’I fancy I know who you mean, sir; and now I come to think of it, I don’t think she has.’

The waitress spoke in an apologetic tone, and looked at the clock with an apologetic look.  She was no fool, that waitress.

‘Thank you.’

As he left the room Albert Shawn entered by the other door, and, perceiving nobody but the waitress, kissed the waitress, and was kissed by her heartily.

Hugo’s deportment was debonnair, but his heart had seriously sunk.  Just as he had before been quite sure that Camilla would come as usual, now he was quite sure that she would not come as usual.  Ever since he had learnt from Ravengar that Tudor had been ignorant of Ravengar’s presence in the flat, and that Ravengar had had to ‘dispose of’ the housekeeper, a horrid suspicion had lurked at the back of his mind, and now this suspicion sprang out upon his hopes of Camilla’s arrival, and fairly strangled them.  And the suspicion was that Camilla had misjudged Francis Tudor, that his intentions had throughout been perfectly honourable, and that on her return to the flat he had quickly convinced Camilla of this.

In which case, where did he, Hugo, come in?

As for the terms of the note, he perceived that he had interpreted them in a particular way because he wished to interpret them in a particular way.

He ascended in the direction of Department 42.  Perhaps, after all, she had escaped his vigilance, and was at her duties.

On the way thither he was accosted by a manager.

‘Mr. Hugo.’

‘Well, Banbury?’

’I telephoned to New Scotland Yard, but they refused any information.  However, I’ve got a pair from the nearest police-station.  I shall order our blacksmiths to make a dozen pairs to pattern.  They will be in next month’s catalogue.’

‘I congratulate you, Banbury.’

And he passed on.  The early-rising customers were beginning to invade the galleries, the cashiers in their confessional-boxes were settling themselves in their seats, faultless shopwalkers were giving a final hitch to their lovely collars, and the rank-and-file were preparing to receive cavalry.  The vast machine had started, slowly and deliberately, as an express engine starts.  And already the heat, as yesterday, was formidable.  But she would not suffer to-day; she was not in Department 42.

He went further and further, aimlessly penetrating to the very heart of the jungle of departments.  He had glimpses of departments that he had not seen for weeks.  At length he came to the verdant and delicious Flower Department (hot-house branch), and by chance he caught a word which brought him to a standstill.