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 'Ah! That's a mystery—at least it is at the present. It is a very serious problem which we must seek to solve.'

'But we shall do so, sooner or later, never fear,' Teddy exclaimed confidently. 'We hold the secret, and our enemies, whoever they may be, shall never learn it.'

A silence fell between us for several moments.

At last I said:

'I wonder who that woman was that old Theed declares he saw on that night out at Gunnersbury?'

'Ah! if we knew that, my dear chap, we might make some progress in our inquiries. But we don't,' Teddy said. 'Her identity is just as much of a mystery as that of the owner of the Invisible Hand—that hand that took out the steel bolt and replaced it with one of wood.'

'But I mean to discover the author of this infernal attempt upon me!' I exclaimed fiercely. 'Whoever did it intended that I should be killed.'

'Never mind. You've cheated them finely, Claude,' Teddy laughed. 'Get quite well, old man, and we'll set to work to fathom this mystery, and give whoever is responsible his just deserts.'

'That we will,' I said resolutely. 'It's the dirty work of somebody who is jealous of us.'

'Yes. And I think that Miss Lethmere ought to exercise the very greatest care,' he remarked. 'As they failed in their attempt upon you, they may very probably make one upon her.'

'By Jove! I never thought of that!' I gasped, staring at my friend. 'And they might form a plot against you also—remember that, Teddy.'