the natural business of his daily
life.

'Then perhaps we can let these gentlemen go,' Sir Rupert suggested, for
he felt a sort of unwillingness, being the host, to keep anyone under
his roof longer than the guest desired to tarry.

'No--no--I am afraid we can't do that just yet,' Ericson replied; 'we
shall all have to give our evidence--to tell what each of us knows. Our
American friends will not grudge remaining a little time longer with us
in order to help us to explain to our police authorities what this whole
thing is, and how it came about.'

'Delighted--delighted--I am sure--to stay here under any conditions,'
Mr. Copping hastened to say.

'But still, if one has other work to do,' Professor Flick was beginning
to articulate.

'My friend is very much occupied with his own special culture,' Mr.
Copping said in gentle explanation, 'and he does not quite live in the
ordinary world of men; but still, I think he will see how necessary it
is that we should stay here just for the present and add our testimony,
as impartial outsiders, to what the regular residents of the house may
have to tell.'

'I can tell nothing,' Professor Flick said bluntly, and yet with
curiously trembling lip.

'Oh, yes--you _can_,' his colleague added blandly; and again he flashed
a danger signal on the eyes that were alert enough when not actually
observed under the moony spectacles.

The signalled eyes under the moony spectacles received the danger signal
with something of impatience. The learned Professor seemed to be
beginning to think that the time had come in this particular business
for every man to drag his own corpse out of the fight. The influence of
Mr. Copping of Omaha had kept him in due control for awhile, but the
time was clearly coming when the Professor would kick over the traces
and give his friend from Omaha the good-bye. It was curious--it might
have been evident to anyone who was there and took notice--that the
parts of the two friends had changed of late. When the pair set out on
their London social expedition the Professor with his folk-lore was the
man deliberately put in front and the leader of the whole enterprise.
Now it seemed somehow as if the sceptre of the leadership had suddenly
and altogether passed into the hands of the quiet Mr. Andrew Copping of
Omaha. Ericson began to see something of this, and to be impressed by
it. But he said nothing to Sir Rupert; his own suspicions were only
suspicions as yet.