oonlight nights
often superinduce sentimentality. What do you know of me? Nothing.
What do I know of you? Nothing, save that there is a kindred spirit
which is always likely to lead us into trouble. Down in your heart you
know you are only temporarily affected by moonshine. Come, make me a
toast!"--lifting her cup.

"You are right," said I. "I am a gentleman. But it was only
consistent that, having been the fool, I should now play the ass.
Here's!"--and I held up my cup.

But neither of us drank; there wasn't time.

For the door opened quietly, and in walked the two men we had seen upon
entering the Inn. One of them gently closed the door and locked it.
One was in soiled every-day clothes, the other in immaculate evening
dress. The latter doffed his opera hat with the most engaging smile
imaginable. The girl and I looked up at him in blank bewilderment, and
set our cups down so mechanically that the warm amber liquid spattered
on the table-cloth.

Galloping Dick and the affable inspector of the cellars stood before us!

VIII

"The unexpected always happens," began the pseudo-detective, closing
his hat, drawing off his gloves and stuffing them into a pocket. "As a
friend of mine used to say, it is the unexpected that always surprises
us. We never expected to see these charming masqueraders again, did
we, William?"

"No, sir," said William, grinning affably, "we didn't. The gentleman
was very nice and obliging to me, sir, when I was in the cellars."

"So I understand. Now," continued the late Mr. Haggerty, with the
deadly affability of a Macaire, "I beg of you, Mr. Comstalk, I beg of
you not to move or to become unduly excited. Physicians tell us that
excitement wastes the red corpuscles, that is to say, the life of the
blood."

"Your blood, sir, must be very thin," I returned coolly. But I cursed
him soundly in my mind. William's bulging side-pocket convinced me
that any undue excitement on my part would be exceedingly dangerous.

"William, you can always tell a gentleman," said the chief rogue
admiringly. "A gentleman always recognizes his opportunities, and
never loses his sense of the balance of things."

"And he is usually witty, too, sir," William assented.

The girl sat pale and rigid in her chair.

"What do you want?" I demanded savagely.

"For one thing, I should like to question the propriety of a
gentleman's sitting down to dine with a lady without having washed his
fa