The man regarded him with elaborate gravity for a few moments. "If yer
turn yer face away I'll try," he replied, and proceeded to fashion the
duplicates.

Meanwhile Bindle deliberated. If he retained the keys there would be
suspicion at the flats, and perhaps locks would be changed; if, on the
other hand, the keys were returned immediately, the owner would trouble
himself no further.

At this juncture he was not very clear as to what he intended to do.
He was still undecided when the four keys were handed to him in return
for a shilling.

The mind of Joseph Bindle invariably responded best to the
ministrations of beer, and when, half an hour later, he left the bar of
the Purple Goat, his plans were formed, and his mind made up. He
vaguely saw the hand of Providence in this discovery of Professor
Conti's keys, and he was determined that Providence should not be
disappointed in him, Joseph Bindle.

First he bought a cheap electric torch, guaranteed for twelve or
twenty-four hours--the shopkeeper was not quite certain which. Then,
proceeding to a chemist's shop, he purchased a roll of medical
bandaging. With this he retired up a side street and proceeded to
swathe his head and the greater part of his face, leaving only his
eyes, nose, and mouth visible. Drawing his cap carefully over the
bandages, he returned to the highway, first having improvised the
remainder of the bandaging into an informal sling for his left arm.
Not even Mrs. Bindle herself would have recognised him, so complete was
the disguise.

Ten minutes later he was at Audrey Mansions. No one was visible, and
with great swiftness and dexterity he tried the duplicate keys in the
open outer door. One fitted perfectly. Mounting to the third floor,
he inserted the other in the door of No. 13. The lock turned easily.
Quite satisfied, he replaced them in his pocket and rang the bell.
There was no answer. He rang again, and a third time, but without
result.

"Does 'is own charin'," murmured Bindle laconically, and descended to
the ground floor, where he rang the porter's bell, with the result that
the keys were faithfully redeemed.

Bindle left the porter in a state of suppressed excitement over a vivid
and circumstantial account of a terrible collision that had just taken
place in the neighbourhood, between a motor-bus and a fire-engine,
resulting in eleven deaths, including three firemen, whilst thirty
people had been seriously injured, inc