daughter make
interesting reading, particularly that part which describes
the jewels sent--no doubt as a tribute to her father's
position as the greatest brain specialist in the world--from
the Austrian Court and the Continental principalities. The
care of such gems is too great a responsibility for the bride.
I propose, therefore, to relieve her of it to-night, and to
send you the customary souvenir of the event to-morrow
morning. Yours faithfully,

"THE MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF HAMILTON CLEEK.

"That's how I know, dash you! Superintendent sent me out after him, hot
foot; and after a bit I picked him up in the Strand, toddling along with
that French hussy as cool as you please. But, blow him! he must have
eyes all round his head, for he saw me just as soon as I saw him, and he
and Frenchy separated like a shot. She hopped into a taxi and flew off
in one direction; he dived into the crowd and bolted in another, and
before you could say Jack Robinson he was doubling and twisting, jumping
into cabs and jumping out again--all to gain time, of course, for the
woman to do what he'd put her up to doing--and leading me the devil's
own chase through the devil's own tangles till he was ready to bunk for
the Embankment. And you let him go, you blooming footler! Had him and
let him go, and chucked away a third of L200 for the price of half a
quid!"

And long after Smathers and Petrie had left him, the wondering crowd had
dispersed, and point duty at "Dead Man's Corner" was just point duty
again and nothing more, P. C. Collins stood there, chewing the cud of
bitter reflection over those words and trying to reckon up just how many
pounds and how much glory had been lost to him.

II

"But, damme, sir, the thing's an outrage! I don't mince my words, Mr.
Narkom. I say plump and plain the thing's an outrage, a disgrace to the
police, an indignity upon the community at large; and for Scotland Yard
to permit itself to be defied, bamboozled, mocked at in this appalling
fashion by a paltry burglar----"

"Uncle, dear, pray don't excite yourself in this manner. I am quite sure
that if Mr. Narkom could prevent the things----"

"Hold your tongue, Ailsa. I will not be interfered with! It's time that
somebody spoke out plainly and let this establishment know what the
public has a right to expect of it. What do I pay my rates and taxes
for--and devilish high ones they are, too,