ave-taking; but Phineas Duge half opened the door, stood for a moment
with his hand upon the handle, and looked back into the room.

"I fear, Mr. Vine," he said, "that you are developing an insular
weakness. You are forgetting to be candid, and you are just a little too
self-reliant."

He opened the door suddenly quite wide, but he made no motion to depart.
On the contrary two men, who must have been standing within a foot or so
of it, stepped quickly in. Phineas Duge closed the door.

CHAPTER XVII

MR. DUGE FAILS

Norris Vine without a doubt was trapped. He realized it from the moment
Phineas Duge closed the door and turned the key. The two men who had
entered were to all appearance absolutely harmless and ordinary. They
were dressed most correctly in dark clothes of fashionable cut. Each
wore a silk hat, and would have passed without a moment's question
amongst any ordinary group of better-class city men. Nevertheless, when
at his quick motion toward the bell the fingers of one of them closed
upon his arm, he knew very well that he was helpless. He suffered them
to lead him without resistance into the little sitting-room. What could
he have done? If he had opened his mouth to call out, he saw the hand of
the man who was watching him, with his arm linked through his, ready to
close his lips. They all passed into the sitting-room, and Phineas Duge
closed the door behind them.

"I am sorry," he said, "to resort to such old-fashioned measures, but
as you know I am methodical in all my ways. The first place to look for
stolen goods is obviously in the abode of the thief. Frankly, I have not
much expectation of discovering anything here. At the same time I could
not afford to run the risk of leaving these rooms and your person
unsearched."

"I can quite appreciate that," Norris Vine said, seating himself in the
armchair towards which he was being gently pushed. "The only favour I
will ask is that you are as quick as possible, as I have rather a busy
afternoon, and want to lunch early."

"These gentlemen," Phineas Duge remarked, "are quite used to little
affairs of this sort. I do not think that you need fear that there will
be any undue delay."

Even while he spoke both of them were busy. Vine felt a silken cord
being drawn about his legs and chest. Something was slid softly into his
mouth. In less than two minutes he was bound and gagged. Then he had an
opportunity, so far as the sitting-room was concerned