"It sounds more like theatrical producer's office, Pons," I could not resist observing.
Solar Pons gave me a faint smile and his eyes held a wry twinkle.
"Ah, there speaks the sybarite in you, Parker. The lover of night life, good wine and chorus girls."
"Heavens, Pons!" I stammered. "What will Miss Helstone think of me?"
"That you are a poor recipient of waggish remarks at your own expense, my dear fellow. But we digress."
Miss Helstone had smiled hesitantly at this little exchange, revealing two rows of dazzling white teeth.
"Well, there is a great deal of truth in Dr Parker's remark, Mr Pons," she said earnestly. "It did in truth look like a theatrical agency, though they are a good deal shabbier as a rule. But the most extraordinary thing was the proceedings. A hard-faced woman in black beckoned to the first girl as I sat down and she disappeared through the big double doors. In less than a minute she was back, with an angry shake of the head."
Miss Helstone put down her cup and leaned forward in her chair, regarding my companion with steady grey eyes.
"Mr Pons, five of the applicants went in and out of that room in five minutes and it was obvious that none of them were suited by their angry expressions. But even more extraordinary — and I learned this afterwards — each and every one was given a new five pound note for her trouble, a car to the station and a free railway ticket to London."
Solar Pons clapped his hands together with a little cracking noise in the silence of the sitting-room.
"Excellent, Parker!" said he. "This gets more intriguing by the minute, Miss Helstone. There is more, of course."
"Much more, Mr Pons. Of course, I got most intrigued as the minutes went by and the girls disappeared into the room. Those of us who were left moved up and fresh arrivals sat down behind us. Now and again there would be loud exclamations from behind the door and it was obvious as I got closer and closer to the double-doors guarded by the woman in black, that none of the girls had been found suitable by the mysterious advertiser. I did not, of course, at that stage, know the name of my employer, Mr Pons, as it was not given in the advertisement."
"I see. It was a box number?"
"Exactly, Mr Pons."
I got up at Pons' glance and re-filled the tea-cups for all of us.
"But I was within three places of the door before a girl came out with whom I had travelled down from London. She was angry and had a heavy flush on her cheeks. She came across to me and had time for a few words before the woman, who was letting in a new applicant, came back. She said she was not asked for references or even any questions. A tall, dark woman was sitting at a desk and she looked at someone obviously sitting behind a heavy screen who was concealed from the applicant. He must have had some method of observing the candidate but in every case the answer had been no, for the woman merely nodded and said that the interview was closed. My informant said she was merely asked her name, address and if it were true that she was an orphan. It was obvious that even these questions were a mere formality."
"An orphan, Miss Helstone?"
Solar Pons had narrowed his eyes and on his face was the alert expression I had noted so often when moments of great enterprise were afoot.
"Why, yes, Mr Pons. That was one of the stipulations of the advertisements. I have one here in my handbag. Another requirement was that applicants should be single or widows."
"Sounds most peculiar, Pons," I put in.
"Does it not, Parker?"
Solar Pons glanced at the newspaper cutting Miss Helstone had passed to him and read it with increasing interest.
"Just listen to this, Parker."
He smoothed out the cutting on the table in front of him and read as follows:
"YOUNG GOVERNESS REQUIRED FOR TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN HOME OF WEALTHY SURREY WIDOWER. LARGE MANSION, CONGENIAL SURROUNDINGS. DISCRETION ESSENTIAL, MANY ADVANTAGES. SALARY £500 PER ANNUM. NO-ONE OVER THIRTY NEED APPLY. REPLY INITIALLY IN WRITING AND WITH TWO REFERENCES. THE POSITION IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ORPHANED YOUNG LADIES ONLY. BOX 990."
Solar Pons frowned and looked at me quizzically.
"Extraordinary, is it not, Parker. I am obliged to you, Miss Helstone. Despite my enthusiasm for bizarre cuttings, this is something I missed. There are a number of unusual points, Parker."
"Indeed, Pons. The orphan stipulation is strange, to say the least."
"And tells us a great deal," said Solar Pons slyly. "Coupled with the lavish inducements it indicates a certain line of thought. What happened at your own interview, Miss Helstone?"
Our visitor put down her tea-cup and wiped her mouth fastidiously with a small lace handkerchief, waving away my proffered plate of toast.
"That was the most extraordinary thing of all, Mr Pons. Within thirty minutes of my arrival at The Priory, thirty applicants had passed through those doors and then it was my turn. It was a large, though quite ordinary room, except for a circular window high up, which made it a dark, shadowy place. There was a desk underneath the window and a desk lamp alight on it, which threw the light forward on to a chair placed in front of the desk.
"A dark-haired, pleasant-looking woman with a central European accent asked me to sit down and then put to me some perfunctory questions. I naturally observed the large, heavy screen to the right of the desk and was then startled to see, in an angled mirror placed as to favour my place on the chair, the reflections of a man's bearded face, with eyes of burning intensity."
2
There was another long pause which I employed in refilling my tea-cup. Miss Helstone leaned back in her chair and put out her hands to the fire, which was now blazing cheerfully.
"Some signal must have passed between the two because the woman at the desk gave a relieved smile and, as though making the decision herself, informed me that the position was mine. She called me over to another table in the corner and asked me to sign a document. I just had time to see that this asserted that I was an orphan, specified my age and verified my references, before I heard a door close softly somewhere. I was sure that the man behind the screen had quitted the room, Mr Pons, and when we went back to the desk I could see that a chair placed behind the screen was empty."
Solar Pons rubbed his hands briskly.
"Admirable, Miss Helstone. This is distinctly promising. I may point out, by the way, that the document you signed has no legal standing whatsoever."
The girl smiled.
"I am glad to hear you say so, Mr Pons. But that is the least of my worries. You may imagine the consternation and dismay among the young ladies in the ante- room when they heard the position was filled. I was astonished when Mrs Dresden, the dark-haired woman, whom I then learned was the housekeeper, said I should start on my duties at once. But I prevailed upon her to let me return to my old employers to collect my luggage and to inform them of my new post, though even then they insisted on sending me by chauffeur-driven car in order to save time."
"You did not think this at all strange, Miss Helstone?" "Strange indeed, Mr Pons, but the salary was so princely that I did not hesitate, I was so excited."
"So you left The Priory without seeing your future charges?"
"That is correct, Mr Pons. I was told the children were on holiday and would not be back until the following Monday.
"When I returned I was a little perturbed to see that the grounds were patrolled by similar men to those at the main gate and I realised then that I would not be free to get out and about as I had hoped and in the manner I had become used to in my other situations."