d him at the
commencement of my statement.

Having entered all the notes to his satisfaction, he thoroughly
inspected both rooms and made more notes. Then he went outside and
bawled up the stairs--

"Wilkins!"

"Sir," came the answer from the bucolic constable on duty above.

"Just step round to the 'Compasses,'" instructed his superior from the
foot of the stairs, "and tell my brother I should be glad if he'd come
round here for a few minutes. We've got a rather curious case."

"Very good, sir," came the reply, followed by the heavy tread of the
man's boots as he went to carry out the orders.

"My brother's down 'ere on a bit of a 'oliday, sir," explained the
inspector to the doctor, entirely ignoring me, "and being one of the
tip-top detectives up in London, I thought we'd take the benefit of his
opinion."

The "Compasses," as it turned out, being only a couple of streets off,
we had not long to wait for the coming of the detective luminary from
London. His heavy footsteps were soon heard on the stairs; preceded by
the constable, he descended the flight with evident forethought and
consideration. Emerging from the darkness into the light of the wax
candles, he presented the appearance of a prosperous butcher, tall,
broad-shouldered, red-necked, and with moustache and whiskers of a
sandy hue. His face was very red, and the skin shining as if distended
with good living.

"This is my brother, Inspector Bull of the Z Metropolitan Division,"
explained our inspector to the doctor, once more ignoring me, "down
'ere on a little 'oliday."

As I learned afterwards, this gentleman was one of the Guardian Angels
who watched over the safety of the inhabitants of the Mile End Road.

The doctor having shaken hands with him, his brother put another
question to him.

"'Ow's Alf?" he inquired.

The newcomer gently soothed the back of his red neck with a hand like a
small leg of mutton, and displayed a set of massive front teeth in a
gratified smile.

"'E's all right," he answered, "we wos having fifty up when you sent
for me."

"You see," explained our inspector, "my brother's got so many friends
in the licensed victuallers' line down here, through being a Mason,
that it takes him 'arf his 'oliday to go round and see 'em all."

The doctor smiled indulgently but made no answer; then our inspector
briefly informed his brother of the state of the case before him,
stating the facts as I related them, in such a dif