into put her on the stage."

"What sort of work is Maisie doing?" asked the saturnine Crewe.

"Male impersonations," said the girl. "Say! she looks dandy in a man's
kit! She's the best male impersonator I've ever seen. Why, when she
talks----"

"Never mind about that," interrupted the colonel, "what did you
discover?"

"I discovered that Stafford King comes regularly to the theatre, that he
takes her to dinner and that he visits the house at Horsham."

"Solly never told me that--the swine!" rapped the colonel, "he's going
to double-cross us, that fellow."

"I don't believe it."

It was Crewe that spoke. "Swell" Crewe, whose boast it was that he had
a suit for every day in the year.

"I know Solomon and I've known him for years," he said. "I know him as
well as you, colonel. As far as we are concerned, Solly is straight. I'm
not denying the possibility that he wants to break away, but that's only
natural. He's a man with a daughter, and he's made his pile, but I'll
stake my life that he'll never double-cross us."

"Double-cross us?" the colonel had recovered his wonted equanimity.
"What has he to 'double-cross'?" he demanded almost jovially. "We have a
straightforward business! I am not aware that any of us are guilty of
dishonest actions. Double-cross! Bah!"

He brought his big hand down with a thump on the table, and they knew
from experience that this was the gavel of the chairman that ended all
discussions.

"Now, gentlemen," said the colonel, "let us get to business. Ask Hanson
to come in--he's got the figures. It is the last lot of figures of ours
that he'll ever handle," he added.

Somebody went to the door of the ante-room and called the secretary, but
there was no reply.

"He's gone out."

"Gone out?" said the colonel and bent his brows. "Who told him to go
out? Never mind, he'll be back in a minute. Shut the door."

He lifted a deed-box from the floor at his feet, placed it on the table,
opened it with a key attached to his watch-chain and removed a bundle of
documents.

"We're going to settle the Spillsbury business to-night," he said.
"Spillsbury looks like squealing."

"Where is he?" asked Pinto.

"In an inebriates' home," said the colonel grimly; "it seems there are
some trustees to his father's estate who are likely to question the
legality of the transfers. But I've had the best legal opinion in London
and there is no doubt that our position is safe. The only thing we've
got to do