But he was not thinking about the reward bill.

What he was thinking about, had been thinking about from the moment in which Allerdyke had drawn him into the smoking-room window and pointed her out to him, was--Mrs.Marlow.

For Appleyard knew Mrs.Marlow well enough, but (always those buts in life, he reflected with a cynical laugh as he threaded his way back to Gresham Street) he knew her by another name--Miss Slade.

And now he was wondering why Miss Slade or Mrs.Marlow had two names, and why she appeared to be one person as he knew her in private life, and another as he had seen her that very morning.
On Appleyard's first coming to town in the capacity of sole manager of the London warehouse of Allerdyke and Partners, Limited, he had set himself up in two rooms in a Bloomsbury lodging-house.

He knew little of London life at that time, or he would have known that he was thus condemning himself to a drab and dreary existence.