e I won't have it. You're not married yourself,
and you don't want other people to be. How do you suppose the world
would get on if everybody was like you?"

Captain Bowers regarded her in open-eyed perplexity. The door leading to
the garden had just closed behind the valiant Joseph, and he stared with
growing uneasiness at the slight figure of Miss Vickers as it stood
poised for further oratorical efforts. Before he could speak she gave
her lips a rapid lick and started again.

"You're one of those people that don't like to see others happy, that's
what you are," she said, rapidly. "I wasn't hurting your kitchen, and as
to talking and laughing there--what do you think my tongue was given to
me for? Show? P'r'aps if you'd been doing a day's hard work you'd--"

"Look here, my girl--" began the captain, desperately.

"Don't you my girl me, please," interrupted Miss Vickers. "I'm not your
girl, thank goodness. If I was you'd be a bit different, I can tell you.
If you had any girls you'd know better than to try and come between them
and their young men. Besides, they wouldn't let you. When a girl's got
a young man--"

The captain rose and went through the form of ringing the bell. Miss
Vickers watched him calmly.

"I thought I'd just have it out with you for once and for all," she
continued. "I told Joseph that I'd no doubt your bark was worse than
your bite. And what he can see to be afraid of in you I can't think.
Nervous disposition, I s'pose. Good evening."

She gave her head a little toss and, returning to the pantry, closed the
door after her. Captain Bowers, still somewhat dazed, returned to his
chair and, gazing at the "Rules," which still lay on the table, grinned
feebly in his beard.

CHAPTER IV

To keep such a romance to himself was beyond the powers of Mr. Chalk.
The captain had made no conditions as to secrecy, and he therefore
considered himself free to indulge in hints to his two greatest friends,
which caused those gentlemen to entertain some doubts as to his sanity.
Mr. Robert Stobell, whose work as a contractor had left a permanent and
unmistakable mark upon Binchester, became imbued with a hazy idea that
Mr. Chalk had invented a new process of making large diamonds. Mr.
Jasper Tredgold, on the other hand, arrived at the conclusion that a
highly respectable burglar was offering for some reason to share his loot
with him. A conversation between Messrs. Stobell and Tredgold