er
woman never lived; ye'll like her when ye know her, later on--she might
not care about ye're calling. She'd want to know where I met ye, and--ye
understand? Besides," added the O'Kelly, "we can smoke up here;" and
seating himself where he could keep an eye upon the door, near to a
small cupboard out of which he produced a pipe still alight, the O'Kelly
prepared himself to listen.

I told him briefly the reason of my visit.

"It was my fault, Paul," he was good enough to say; "my fault entirely.
Between ourselves, it was a damned silly idea, that party, the whole
thing altogether. Don't ye think so?"

I replied that I was naturally prejudiced against it myself.

"Most unfortunate for me," continued the O'Kelly; "I know that. Me
cabman took me to Hammersmith instead of Hampstead; said I told him
Hammersmith. Didn't get home here till three o'clock in the morning.
Most unfortunate--under the circumstances."

I could quite imagine it.

"But I'm glad ye've come," said the O'Kelly. "I had a notion ye did
something foolish that evening, but I couldn't remember precisely what.
It's been worrying me."

"It's been worrying me also, I can assure you," I told him; and I gave
him an account of my Wednesday evening's experience.

"I'll go round to-morrow morning," he said, "and see one or two people.
It's not a bad idea, that of Jarman's. I think I may be able to arrange
something for ye."

He fixed a time for me to call again upon him the next day, when Mrs.
O'Kelly would be away from home. He instructed me to walk quietly up and
down on the opposite side of the road with my eye on the attic window,
and not to come across unless he waved a handkerchief.

Rising to go, I thanked him for his kindness. "Don't put it that way, me
dear Paul," he answered. "If I don't get ye out of this scrape I shall
never forgive meself. If we damned silly fools don't help one another,"
he added, with his pleasant laugh, "who is to help us?"

We crept downstairs as we had crept up. As we reached the first floor,
the drawing-room door suddenly opened.

"William!" cried a sharp voice.

"Me dear," answered the O'Kelly, snatching his pipe from his mouth and
thrusting it, still alight, into his trousers pocket. I made the rest
of the descent by myself, and slipping out, closed the door behind me as
noiselessly as possible.

Again I did not return to Nelson Square until the early hours, and the
next morning did not venture out until I had