chool, complete even
to imbricated cape and dangling badge, stalked into the room, and
glancing round with a mixture of embarrassment and defiance, suddenly
fixed on Polton's nose a look of devouring curiosity.

"Here you are, then," Polton remarked nervously.

"Yus," replied the cabman in a slightly hostile tone. "Here I am. What
am I wanted to do? And where's this here Mr. Polton?"

"I am Mr. Polton," replied our abashed assistant.

"Well, it's the other Mr. Polton what I want," said the cabman, with his
eyes still riveted on the olfactory prominence.

"There isn't any other Mr. Polton," our subordinate replied irritably.
"I am the--er--person who spoke to you in the shelter."

"Are you though?" said the manifestly incredulous cabby. "I shouldn't
have thought it; but you ought to know. What do you want me to do?"

"We want you," said Thorndyke, "to answer one or two questions. And the
first one is, Are you a teetotaller?"

The question being illustrated by the production of a decanter, the
cabman's dignity relaxed somewhat.

"I ain't bigoted," said he.

"Then sit down and mix yourself a glass of grog. Soda or plain water?"

"May as well have all the extries," replied the cabman, sitting down and
grasping the decanter with the air of a man who means business. "Per'aps
you wouldn't mind squirtin' out the soda, sir, bein' more used to it."

While these preliminaries were being arranged, Polton silently slipped
out of the room, and when our visitor had fortified himself with a gulp
of the uncommonly stiff mixture, the examination began.

"Your name, I think, is Wilkins?" said Thorndyke.

"That's me, sir. Samuel Wilkins is my name."

"And your occupation?"

"Is a very tryin' one and not paid for as it deserves. I drives a cab,
sir; a four-wheeled cab is what I drives; and a very poor job it is."

"Do you happen to remember a very foggy day about a month ago?"

"Do I not, sir! A regler sneezer that was! Wednesday, the fourteenth of
March. I remember the date because my benefit society came down on me
for arrears that morning."

"Will you tell us what happened to you between six and seven in the
evening of that day?"

"I will, sir," replied the cabman, emptying his tumbler by way of
bracing himself up for the effort. "A little before six I was waiting on
the arrival side of the Great Northern Station, King's Cross, when I see
a gentleman and a lady coming out. The gentleman he looks up and down
and th