“Superintendent Battle, could you give me a list of secret societies that have their headquarters in Seven Dials?”

It was Superintendent Battle’s boast that he had never been seen to display emotion. But Bundle could have sworn that just for a moment his eyelids flickered and he looked taken aback. Only for a moment, however. He was his usual wooden self as he said:

“Strictly speaking, Lady Eileen, there’s no such place as Seven Dials nowadays.”

“No?”

“No. Most of it is pulled down and rebuilt on. It was rather a low quarter, but nowadays it is a respectable and high class part of town. Not at all a romantic spot to search for mysterious secret societies.”

“Oh!” said Bundle, rather taken aback.

“But all the same I should like to know what put that neighbourhood in your head, Lady Eileen.”