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other,” Miss Alice suggested. “You see, I’ve watched carefully and I’m quite sure that the name Dexter means nothing personal to her as, surely, it would do if she knew that it and not Hastings is her true name.”
    “Yes, seems sound reasoning,” Dr. Rob agreed. “Which suggests that Ruth has taken care she doesn’t see her birth certificate because she was registered as Rosamund Dexter—”
    “And is your daughter.”
    “It’s a bit more evidence to support its probability,” Dr. Rob said judicially. “But still not proof. And that I feel I must have before I claim Rosamund!” He beat his hand emphatically on the wooden arm of his deck chair.
    “Just what have you done so far?” Miss Alice asked.
    “Made a thorough nuisance of myself at Somerset House,” Dr. Rob told her grimly, “I’ve had them search every district near to the address where Celia died, with no result at all. Which makes it clear that Rosamund was born outside that area. But where, where? Think what it means in London alone. It’s like hunting for a needle in a haystack!”
    Miss Alice was silent. Personally she had come to the conclusion that Rob might be mistaken in deciding not to take Rosamund into his confidence, but the decision was for him to make, not her.
    “It’s terribly discouraging,” she said at length.
    “It is, indeed,” Dr. Rob agreed grimly. “So discouraging that I decided to make a more definite approach.”
    “You mean—tell Rosamund?”
    “No, not that. Tackle Ruth herself.”
    “Oh, Rob!” It was impossible for Miss Alice to hide her dismay.
    “Not wise, you think? Perhaps not, but in the circumstances, inevitable. In fact, I felt that so very strongly that I went to see her yesterday.”
    “And—?” eagerly.
    “I might have saved myself the trouble. I was told that Ruth has had a nervous breakdown, is in a nursing home and is allowed no visitors.”
    Miss Alice looked at him sharply.
    “It might be true, you know. She must be a very busy woman and not as young as she was. Besides, to a woman of her type, Rosamund’s defiance must have come as a very real shock. All the same,” she added shrewdly, “you don’t believe it, do you?”
    Dr. Rob shrugged his shoulders.
    “It may as you say, be true. But on the other hand, she must be perfectly well aware that she has put up the one type of obstacle between us which I can't possibly override. It wouldn’t be ethical.”
    “But that means you think she knows that you and Rosamund—No, that’s impossible, Rob! How can she possibly connect you with Rosamund’s disappearance?”
    “I don’t say that she can. But I do say that since she has never let me know of Rosamund’s existence, she must always have been afraid that we might meet by accident— as, indeed, we have. So now, isn’t it at least possible that she’s wondering if that has happened and decided to manoeuvre herself into a position where I can’t get at her to ask awkward questions?”
    She didn’t answer and after a moment he went on:
    “I know what you’re thinking, Alice. That even if she didn’t really connect Rosamund’s disappearance with me, she certainly will do so now! She’ll feel that it’s surely too great a coincidence that I turned up demanding to see her at this particular time. I’m afraid that’s true.” He stirred restlessly in his chair. “Yet is it such a very big risk? No one but my secretary knows where I am when I come down here and she also knows that the job wouldn’t last five minutes if she gave me away! Still, just to make sure, after this weekend, I'm not coming down here for a bit. Indeed, I shan’t be able to. I’ve had an invitation to lecture in America and frankly, I can’t refuse it. It’s not only that it’s an honour, but I’d give offence to some very good friends.”
    “How long will you be away?” Miss Alice asked, her heart sinking uncontrollably. She had a conviction that the next few weeks were going to prove