plans and had no hopes of seeing his missing portmanteau again, but,
like a prudent man, he was not inclined to cry over spilt milk.

He had thought it all out before morning, and shortly after ten o'clock
set out to call upon Major Carden again. To his surprise he found that
the Major had already breakfasted and was making preparations for going
out. A big fur coat was carelessly thrown across an arm-chair, and
Phillips smiled when he saw it. Probably the Major had struck a
prosperous line. Possibly some of the ten-pound note had been laid out
at an adjacent pawnbroker's.

"I didn't expect to see you this morning," the Major said genially.
"Most infernally cold, isn't it? Looks like snow, too. Still, one must
take the rough with the smooth when one goes racing."

"So you are going racing?"

"Well, I had thought of it. I don't often get the chance of treating
myself, and my idea was to run down to Mirst Park this afternoon. You're
going, aren't you?"

"Oh, yes, I am going down on business. But I wanted you to stay in town
and do a little commission for me."

The Major's florid face fell.

"That is very awkward," he muttered. "You see, I promised to take my
daughter with me. She is fonder of that kind of thing than I am, and the
poor child seldom has an outing. In the old days of my prosperity Alice
had her own horse, and deuced good across country she was. Can't you
manage to put it off till to-morrow, Phillips? I shall be greatly
obliged if you can."

Phillips reflected for a moment.

"Very well," he said. "I daresay it can be managed. I will see you on
the course this afternoon and let you know what my address is. If you
are discreet and cautious over this little matter there is a fair sum of
money in it for you. You can drop me a note to-night, because there is
no pressing hurry, and you can get the information this evening or early
to-morrow. What you have to do is to go round to the Post Club and find
out all the heavy bets which were made there with Selwyn in connexion
with to-day's racing at Mirst Park. You must let me know with whom the
bets were made and who made them. I think that is all. But I shall see
you on the course later, and if anything crops up in the meantime I
shall let you know."

There was nothing to prevent Phillips from making his way to Mirst Park.
Half an hour later he took train from Waterloo and, arrived at his
destination, proceeded to look out for lodgings. He had his own reaso