hese latter experiences he did not tell to Scott, who was
incapable of holding his tongue, and secrecy, as the detective impressed
on Paul, was absolutely necessary to the conduct of the case. "If we
keep matters quiet," argued Hurd, "and let those concerned in the matter
fancy the case has been dropped, we'll be able to throw them off their
guard, and then they may betray themselves."

"I wish you would say if you think there is one person or two," said
Paul, irritably, for his nerves were wearing thin under the strain. "You
first talk of the assassin and then of the assassins."

"Well," drawled Hurd, smiling, "I'm in the dark, you see, and being only
a flesh and blood human being, instead of a creation of one of you
authors, I can only grope in the dark and look in every direction for
the light. One person, two persons, three, even four may be engaged in
this affair for all I know. Don't you be in a hurry, Mr. Beecot. I
believe in that foreign chap's saying, 'Without haste without rest.'"

"Goethe said that."

"Then Goethe is a sensible man, and must have read his Bible. 'Make no
haste in time of trouble,' says the Scriptures."

"Very good," assented Beecot; "take your own time."

"I intend to," said Hurd, coolly. "Bless you, slow and sure is my motto.
There's no hurry. You are fixed up with enough to live on, and a
prospect of making more. Your young lady is happy enough with that
grenadier of a woman in spite of the humbleness of the home. Mrs. Krill
and her daughter are enjoying the five thousand a year, and Mr. Grexon
Hay is fleecing that young ass, Lord George Sandal, as easily as
possible. I stand by and watch everything. When the time comes I'll
pounce down on--"

"Ah," said Paul, "that's the question. On whom?"

"On one or two or a baker's dozen," rejoined Hurd, calmly. "My chickens
ain't hatched yet, so I don't count 'em. By the way, is your old
school-fellow as friendly as ever?"

"Yes. Why, I can't understand; as he certainly will make no money out of
me. He's giving a small dinner to-morrow night at his rooms and has
asked me."

"You go," said the detective, emphatically; "and don't let on you have
anything to do with me."

"See here, Hurd, I won't play the spy, if you mean that."

"I don't mean anything of the sort," replied Hurd, earnestly, "but if
you do chance to meet Mrs. Krill at this dinner, and if she does chance
to drop a few words about her past, you might let me know."

"Oh, I do