"She won't baffle me," said the detective confidently, and so departed on his mission.
Having thus provided for the safe keeping of Rose Gernon, I returned to Briarfield's rooms, and found him alone. Miss Bellin had taken her departure during my absence.
"Where is she?" I asked, glancing round.
"Olivia has gone home," explained Francis. "If she is back before nine, her mother will never hear of this escapade, so I put her in a cab and sent her off."
"All the better," said I, taking a seat. "Now that we are alone I wish to hear the story of your transformation from Francis to Felix."
"I told you I was Francis all along," he said reproachfully.
"Yes; in such a way that I thought you were Felix," I answered ironically. "You might have trusted me, Briarfield. It would have been better for us all."
"I have no doubt it would," answered Francis gloomily, "but I was afraid lest you should think I had killed Felix."
"I knew you were incapable of such a thing."
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "Had I known you were so true a friend, I should have made you my confidant. As it was, when I remembered my wild threats of killing Felix, I dreaded lest, finding him dead, you might accuse me of his murder."