Herne seem offended when you examined her face?"
"She gave a kind of start--"
"At the sight of you," said Jennings quickly.
"La, no, sir. She never saw me before."
"I'm not so sure of that," muttered the detective. "Did you
also recognize Mr. Clancy and Mr. Hale as having visited the
Soho house?"
"No, sir. I never set eyes on them before."
"But as parlor-maid, you must have opened the door to--"
"Just a moment, sir," said Susan quickly. "I opened the door
in the day when few people came. After eight the page,
Gibber, took my place. And I hardly ever went upstairs, as
Senora Gredos told me to keep below. One evening I did come
up and saw--" here her eyes rested on Cuthbert with a look
which made him turn crimson. "I wish I had never come up on
that night."
"See here, my girl," said Mallow irritably, "do you mean to
say--"
"Hold on, Mallow," interposed Jennings, "let me ask a
question." He turned to Susan, now weeping again with downcast
eyes. "Mr. Mallow's face made an impression on you?"
"Yes, sir. But then I knew every line of it before."
"How was that?"
Susan looked up surprised. "The photograph in Senora Gredos'
dressing-room. I often looked at it, and when I left I could
not bear to leave it behind. It was stealing, I know," cried
Miss Grant tearfully, "and I have been brought up respectably,
but I couldn't help myself."
By this time Cuthbert was the color of an autumn sunset.
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