Nick read the fragment of paper she hurriedly produced. It contained only these lines:
“Come up to the west-front chamber, Mollie. I want you.
Archie.”
Nick returned the paper to her, remarking:
“I infer that you did not find Archie in the west-front chamber.”
“No, I did not,” said Mollie nervously. “I could not imagine why he wanted me. I hunted vainly for him on the second floor. I have not seen him since, Mr. Carter.”
“Examine the writing, Mrs. Waldmere,” said Nick. “Does it look like Archie’s hand?”
“Why, no, not exactly,” she replied, after a brief scrutiny. “I really don’t believe that it is his. But I did not notice it, Mr. Carter, at the time. I felt a bit nervous and hastened upstairs to find him.”
Nick remembered having observed it, and he now had positively fixed the identity of the woman seen on the stairs. He took the note from her again and asked:
“Was this brought to you by one of the servants?”