I ought to have told you, I thought our host would have done so.
What was the holy man doing?'

'I was not told,' said Blake, 'I suppose Mr. Macrae was too busy. So I
was rather surprised, when I went into my room for my book, to find the
clergyman examining my things and taking books out of one of my book
boxes.'

'Good heavens!' exclaimed Merton. 'What did you do?'

'I locked the door of the room, and handed Mr. Williams the key of my
despatch box. "I have a few private trifles there," I said, "the key may
save you trouble." Then I sat down and wrote a note to Mr. Macrae, and
rang the bell and asked the servant to carry the note to his master. Mr.
Macrae came, and I explained the situation and asked him to be kind
enough to order the motor, if he could spare it, or anything to carry me
to the nearest inn.'

'I shall order it, Mr. Blake,' said Mr. Macrae, 'but it will be to remove
this person, whom I especially forbade to molest any of my guests. I
don't know how I forgot to tell you who he is, a detective; the others
were told.'

'He confounded himself in excuses; it was horribly awkward.'

'Horribly!' said Merton.

'He rated the man for visiting his guests' rooms without his knowledge. I
dare say the parson has turned over all _your_ things.'

Merton blenched. He had some of the correspondence of the Disentanglers
with him, rather private matter, naturally.

'He had not the key of my despatch box,' said Merton.

'He could open it with a quill, I believe,' said Blake. 'They do--in
novels.'

Merton felt very uneasy. 'What was the end of it?' he asked.

'Oh, I said that if the man was within his duty the accident was only one
of those which so singular a misfortune brings with it. I would stay
while Mr. Macrae wanted me. I handed over my keys, and insisted that all
my luggage and drawers and things should be examined. But Mr. Macrae
would not listen to me, and forbade the fellow to enter any of--the
bedrooms.'

'Begad, I'll go and look at my own despatch box,' said Merton.

'I shall sit in the shade,' said Blake.

Merton did examine his box, but could not see that any of the papers had
been disarranged. Still, as the receptacle was full of family secrets he
did not feel precisely comfortable. Going out on the lawn he met Mr.
Macrae, who took him into a retired place and told him what had occurred.

'I had given the man the strictest orders not to invade the rooms of any
of my guests,