the man's conception of his work, but saw that he
spoke in all seriousness. 'Well, Baltic, it is a queer way of calling
sinners to repentance, and I can't understand it myself.'

'My method of conversion is certainly open to misconstruction, sir. That
is why I term myself rather a missionary than a private inquiry agent.'

'I see; you don't wish to scare your promising flock of criminals. Does
anyone here know that you are a private inquiry agent?'

'Mr Cargrim does,' said the ex-sailor, calmly, 'and one other.'

Harry leaned forward with an incredulous look. 'Cargrim knows,' he said
in utter amazement. 'I should think he would be the last man to approve
of your ideas, with his narrow views and clerical red-tapism.'
'Perhaps, so, sir; but in this case my views happen to fall in with his
own. I came to see you, Sir Harry, in order to ease my mind on that
point.'

'In order to ease your mind!' repeated Brace, with a keen look. 'Go on.'

'Sir Harry, I speak to you in confidence about Mr Cargrim. I do not like
that man, sir.'

'You belong to the majority, then, Baltic. Few people like Cargrim, or
trust him. But what is he to you?'

'My employer. Yes, sir, you may well look astonished. Mr Cargrim asked
me down to Beorminster for a certain purpose.'

'Connected with his self-aggrandisement, no doubt.'

'That I cannot tell you, Sir Harry, as Mr Cargrim has not told me his
motive for engaging me in my business capacity. All I know is that he
wishes me to discover who killed a man called Jentham.'

'The deuce!' Harry jumped up with an excited look. 'Why is he taking the
trouble to do that?'

'I can't say, sir, unless it is that he dislikes Bishop Pendle!'

'Dislikes Bishop Pendle, man! And what has all this to do with the
murder of Jentham?'

'Sir,' said Baltic, with a cautious glance around, and sinking his voice
to a whisper, 'Mr Cargrim suspects Dr Pendle of the crime.'

'What!!!' Sir Harry turned the colour of chalk, and sprang back until he
almost touched the wall. 'You hound!' said he, speaking with unnatural
calmness, 'do you dare to sit there and tell me that you have come here
to watch the bishop?'

'Yes, Sir Harry,' was Baltic's stolid rejoinder, 'and calling me names
won't do away with the fact.'

'Does Cargrim believe that the bishop killed this man?'

'Yes, sir, he does, and wishes me to bring the crime home to him.'

'Curse you!' roared Harry, striding across the room, and towering over
the