"Miss Vaughan, if you please." Then I said to myself, "What good am I? Is this my detective adroitness?"
Presently a nice old lady, with snow-white hair, came in.
"Miss Vaughan," she asked with a pleasant smile, "do you wish to see me?"
"Yes, if you please. Just to ask a few questions as to the inmates of this house."
Despite her kindness and good breeding, the lady stared a little.
"May I inquire your motives? Do you know me at all? I have not the pleasure of knowing you."
"My motives I must not tell you. But, as a lady, I assure you, that curiosity is not one. Neither are they improper."
She looked at me in great surprise, examined me closely, and then replied:
"Young lady, I believe what you say. It is impossible not to do so. But my answering you must depend on the nature of your inquiries. You have done, excuse my saying it, you have done a very odd thing."
"I will not ask many questions. How many people live here?"