to last, and not much to my taste. Now, _I_ like a decent robbery or a
nice, quick-fingered forger that wants a bit of huntin' up. You know,
even detectives have their particular favourites in the matter of crime,
Borkins, and a beastly murder isn't exactly in _my_ line."

Borkins laughed respectfully, rubbing his hands together.

"Nor mine, sir," he made answer. "Though I must say you gentlemen 'aven't
been a bit what I imagined detectives to be. When you first come down,
you know, I spotted something different about you, and--"

"Ought to be on the Force yourself!" supplemented Cleek.

"And not such a bad callin' neither!" returned Borkins with a grin. "But
I knew you wasn't what you said you was, in a manner of speakin'. And if
it 'adn't been for all this unpleasantness, it would 'ave bin a nice
little change for yer, wouldn't it? Sorry to see the last of you, sirs,
I am that. And that young gentleman of your'n. But I must say I'm glad to
be done of the business."

Cleek blew a cloud of smoke into the air.

"Oh, you'll have another dose of it before you're entirely finished!" he
responded. "When the case comes on in London. _That's_ the ticklish part
of the business. We'll meet there again, I expect, as Mr. Lake and I will
be bound to give our evidence--which is a thankless task at the best of
times.... Hello! Dollops, got the golf-clubs and walking-sticks? That's
a good lad. Now we'll be off to old London again--eh, Lake? Good-bye,
Borkins. Best of luck."

"Good-bye, gentlemen."

The two men got into the taxi Dollops had procured for them, while that
worthy hopped on to the seat beside the driver and gave him the order to
"Nip it for the eight o'clock train for Lunnon, as farst as you kin slide
it, cabby!" To which the chauffeur made some equally pointed remark, and
they were off.

But Borkins either did not realize that the eight-o'clock train for
London was a slow one, or thought that it was the most convenient for the
two gentlemen most interested, because he did not give a thought to the
matter that that particular train stopped at the next station, some three
miles away from Fetchworth. And even if he had and could have seen the
two tough-looking sailormen who descended from the first-class
compartment there and stepped on to the tiny platform among one or two
others, he would never have dreamed of associating them with the Mr.
Headland and his man Dollops who had such a short time ago left the
Towers