She looked him in the eyes.

“I am not a child,” she said scornfully.

He closed the door after her. For a moment he remained as though undecided whether to follow or not. His face had softened with her absence. Finally, however, he turned away with a little shrug of the shoulders, threw himself into his easy-chair and began to smoke furiously.

The telephone bell disturbed his reflection. He rose at once and took up the receiver.

“Yes, this is 19, Dreymarsh. Trunk call? All right, I am here.”

He waited until another voice came to him faintly.

“Cranston?”

“Speaking.”

“That's right. The message is Odino Berry, you understand? O-d-i-n-o b-e-r-r-y.”

“I've got it,” Sir Henry replied. “Good night!” He hung up the receiver, crossed the room to his desk, unlocked one of the drawers, and produced a black memorandum book, secured with a brass lock. He drew a key from his watch chain, opened the book, and ran his fingers down the O's.