At the head of the stairway she paused.  Jenkins was moving hurriedly up to meet her.

“It’s a policeman, Miss.  ’E’s come about the—­the person that came in, and ‘e’s talkin’ to Nora on the steps.  She’s a-jollyin’ ’im, as you might say, Miss.”

His young mistress nodded.  She swept the hall with the eye of a general.  Swiftly she changed the position of a Turkish rug so as to hide a spot on the polished floor that had been recently scrubbed and was still moist.  It seemed best to discover Nora’s plan of campaign before taking over the charge of affairs.

“Many’s the time I’ve met yuh goin’ down the Avenoo with your heels clickin’ an’ your head high,” came the rich brogue of Nora O’Flannigan.  “An’ I’ve said to myself, sez I, who’s the handsome officer that sets off his uniform so gr-rand?”

The girl leaned on her mop and gave the policeman a slant glance out of eyes of Irish brown.  It was not Nora’s fault that she was as pretty a colleen as ever came out of Limerick, but there was no law that made her send such a roguish come-hither look at the man in blue.

He beamed.  He was as pleased as a cat that has been stroked and fed cream.

“Well, an’ yuh ’re not the only wan that notices, Miss Nora.  I’m a noticin’ lad mesilf.  An’ it’s the truth that I’d be glad enough to meet yuh some fine evenin’ when I’m off duty.  But about this strong-arm guy that tied up the janitor.  The Swede says he went into wan av these houses.  Now here’s the wet color from his suit that ran over the steps.  He musta come up here.”

“Before he ran down the street.  Sure, an’ that’s just what he done.  Yuh’re a janious, officer.”

“Maybe he got into the house somehow.”

“Now, how could he do that?  With all av us upstairs and down.”

“I don’t say he did.  But if I was to just take a look inside so as to report that I’d searched—­”

“Och!  Yuh ‘d be wastin’ your time, officer.”

“Sure, I know that.  But for the report—­”

The young woman in the riding costume chose this moment to open the door and saunter out.

“Does the officer want something, Nora?” she asked innocently, switching the end of a crop against her riding-boots.

“Yes, Miss.  There’s been a ruffian batin’ up Swedes an’ tyin’ ’em to posts.  This officer thinks he came here,” explained Nora.

“Does he want to look in the house?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Then let him come in.”  The young mistress took the responsibility on her own shoulders.  She led the policeman into the hall.  “I don’t really see how he could have got in here without some of us seeing him, officer.”

“No, ma’am.  I don’t see how he could.”  The patrolman scratched his red head.  “The janitor’s a Swede, anyhow.  He jist guessed it.  I came to make sure av it.  I’ll be sorry for troubling yuh, Miss.”

The smile she gave him was warm and friendly.  “Oh, that’s all right.  If you’d care to look around. . . .  But there really is no use.”