e presently
perceived.

"You made me think of your view of the Brissenden pair till I could
think of nothing else."

"Yes--yes," I said. "Go on."

"Well, as you had planted the theory in me, it began to bear fruit. I
began to watch them. I continued to watch them. I did nothing but watch
them."

The sudden lowering of his voice in this confession--as if it had
represented a sort of darkening of his consciousness--again amused me.
"You too? How then we've been occupied! For I, you see, have watched--or
had, until I found you just now with Mrs. Server--everyone, everything
_but_ you."

"Oh, I've watched _you_," said Ford Obert as if he had then perhaps
after all the advantage of me. "I admit that I made you out for myself
to be back on the scent; for I thought I made you out baffled."

To learn whether I really had been was, I saw, what he would most have
liked; but I also saw that he had, as to this, a scruple about asking
me. What I most saw, however, was that to tell him I should have to
understand. "What scent do you allude to?"

He smiled as if I might have fancied I could fence. "Why, the pursuit of
the identification that's none of our business--the identification of
her lover."

"Ah, it's as to that," I instantly replied, "you've judged me baffled?
I'm afraid," I almost as quickly added, "that I must admit I _have_
been. Luckily, at all events, it _is_ none of our business."

"Yes," said my friend, amused on his side, "nothing's our business that
we can't find out. I saw you hadn't found him. And what," Obert
continued, "does he matter now?"

It took but a moment to place me for seeing that my companion's
conviction on this point was a conviction decidedly to respect; and even
that amount of hesitation was but the result of my wondering how he had
reached it. "What, indeed?" I promptly replied. "But how did you see I
had failed?"

"By seeing that I myself had. For I've been looking too. He isn't here,"
said Ford Obert.

Delighted as I was that he should believe it, I was yet struck by the
complacency of his confidence, which connected itself again with my
observation of their so recent colloquy. "Oh, for you to be so sure, has
Mrs. Server squared you?"

"_Is_ he here?" he for all answer to this insistently asked.

I faltered but an instant. "No; he isn't here. It's no thanks to one's
scruples, but perhaps it's lucky for one's manners. I speak at least for
mine. If you've watched," I pursued, "y