The Piccadilly Puzzle

everything is comparatively silent in this crescent. Milk-carts are the most frequent vehicles, and occasionally a rakish-looking hansom

fernal machine may frequently be heard playing the latest music-

No Bloomsbury Juliet can lean over the ornamental ironwork and whisper sweet nothings to Romeo; if she did, Juliet would forthwith be precipitated into

he whole street, and perhaps in the future, neat tablets let into the walls of the houses will inform posterity that Horatio Muggins, the celebrated poet, and Simon Memphison, th

ke a ghost from the tomb, wander about the house to minister to the wants of the boarders, and then return to the grave, or rather the kitchen, once more. A rising musician occupied the ground-floor, who went to bed very early in the morning, and got up very late in the afternoon. He was writing an opera which was to make his name, but meantime devoted his spare moments to instructing small children in the art of music, which tried his temper greatly, and rendered him morose. On the first floor dwelt Mr. Myles Desmond, whose o

y family except that they did not mix much with one another, but they al

all in one day, and obtained valuable information from each, he thought he would defer his call on Mr. Desmond, and spent the night in arranging all the evidenc

f unroofing people's houses, and exposing to the world their private life. Not that Desmond did such a thing, he would have scorned to violate the sanctity of private l

able, untouched, he having only swallowed a cup of coffee, and then pushed the table-cloth aside to make room for his papers. Dressed in an old smoking-suit, he leaned one elbow on the table occasionally, ran his fingers through his hair and wrote rapidly, only stopping every now

p as he pondered over some thought. There was a ring at the bell below, but he took no notice. This was follo

can be," he muttered, as Rondalina went out; "hang those f

but a tall, grey man whom he did not know. Myles paused with his pen in his han

ed the door carefully, and advancing to t

r--det

, and he shot an enquiring glance at his visitor, who stood looking mournfully

said a little nervously

owker, coolly taking a seat, "and be

and shook his head. "No. I'm

yn Street

ards the mantel-piece, ostensibly to fill his

nsteady voice, "and wha

t to know," said D

pipe, resumed his seat at the table, and leaning

riddles," he

ker meaningly, "perha

in them more fully,

o find out something, which Desmond knew, and Desmond on his side was equally determined to

red was your cousin's mi

ith a start of surprise.

have satisfied myself as to the identity of the murde

that

mbers, between eleven and twe

ys I sa

. Po

mond's li

n beforehand," he said with a sneer; "perhaps

see Miss Sarsc

in the afternoo

she called on you th

mistaken, I di

e anyone at

my bus

ne also. You had better answer my questions or yo

accuse me of Lena

ker ambiguously; "tell me w

nd seeing his perilous po

, then to the office of the news

el

d Calliston's rooms,

, and why did

only to arrange some papers for my cousin--he had gon

u see h

N

did you kn

e said he

ady Bal

nt--as far as I know--by himself. I was at his chambers

all while you

reluc

lad

woman," e

Sars

iss Sarschine, th

who wa

g to do with this case

know t

se to t

at one another, and then

quarrel with

s my bu

time did your

y after

d y

w minutes

came

a tim

you go in t

se to a

l you--down St.

tered an oath, a

old yo

by met you coming up sh

id meet h

u not go st

to think of something--at

James' Street, then I lost sight of her, and after a time came up St. James'

riend after she left Lo

said Desmond, wit

owker, eyeing him sharply

my questions except t

red all I int

e the name of the woman wh

es

ertain it was M

ore, Mrs. Povy

can arrest yo

o grounds t

on who last saw th

at I saw the deceased

vy can p

Mrs. Pov

coolness of this young man annoyed him--s

ppose you can give a good acco

o the proper

of the room. When he got into the street he

to tell. I won't lose sight of him, so I must get that little devil,

the house he had just left open, and the servant came out with a piece of

. "I wonder if Mr. Desmond's se

ounter, took a telegraph form as if to send a telegram. The girl was attending to someone else, and Rondalina, with the telegram opened out befo

NFO

Lane, "Meet me Marb

yl

us telegram, and then

what are his reasons for seeing her to-day. I'd like to overhear their conv

ted to find Flip