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 who, after he had attained his growth, had been broken in two by some frightful accident. An airplane crash came to my mind as an explanation. I looked at his grey eyes, of the grey which is cold, at his cool, curt lips and his long, competent hands and I had no trouble imagining him as having been a pilot.

He was thirty, I guessed; perhaps not so much; perhaps pain had somewhat aged him; for I realized, as he moved a little, he was in some pain. This motion in his chair was his substitute for arising at the approach of the girl with me.

"Mr. Cawder, Helen," Bane said; and she nodded to him.

"Sit down, please," asked Cawder; and seeing that he held himself up from his seat with his hands, while she was standing, she quickly slipped into the chair which Bane offered her. Cawder let himself relapse.

"Flight lieutenant Carrick," Bane made introduction of me.

"Sit down," said Cawder to me and I complied. Bane sat between me and Helen Lacey. No one else was in the room. The panel,