ay it was 'of vital importance that the lady should be married
to-night.' What does that imply?"

"Do you wish me to put it in different language?"

"I want to know what the vitally important reason was. I presume she
furnished one?"

"Ah, but how does that concern the New York police, Mr. Steingall?"

"Every element in this business concerns us. The license was in
Hunter's possession--was he bringing it to someone named de Courtois?
Or was he masquerading under an alias?"

"Answering your second question, I imagine not. I have the best of
reasons for believing that Jean de Courtois exists. I wish now I
hadn't. Don't you see, Steingall, I am in a deuce of a fix? I married
the lady under a misapprehension. She might have really preferred this
fellow, de Courtois."

Steingall liked a joke as well as any man in New York, and was not at
all averse from chaffing some of his less gifted colleagues when their
obtuseness or faithful adherence to the letter of instructions
permitted a criminal to befool them; but he resented the levity of
Curtis's tone now, though, deep in his heart, he felt that he liked the
man.

"You don't seem to realize the peculiarly awkward position in which you
stand," he said, with due official gravity.

"On the contrary, I feel it acutely. What am I to say to my wife----?"

"I am not wrung with agony over the lady's sensitiveness," broke in the
detective dryly. "A good many people believe that you were concerned
in this murder. There are not lacking circumstantial details which
warrant that view. I am not saying too much when I tell you that some
men, in my shoes, would arrest you forthwith."

Curtis looked at Steingall quizzically, and even laughed with a
whole-hearted appreciation of the jest.

"Lucky for me I have fallen into the hands of a sensible person," he
said.

"Allow me to remark," put in Uncle Horace solemnly, "that Mr. Steingall
has won my unstinted admiration by the way in which he has conducted
this inquiry."

Devar was beginning to enjoy himself. He alone was able to estimate
Curtis at his true worth; even that astounding marriage was losing some
of its bizarre attributes since Curtis had begun to talk about it.

"Good for you, Mr. Curtis, senior," he crowed delightedly. "If Indiana
knew what it really wanted it would run you for Governor."

Steingall nearly became angry. Indeed, it is probable that he would
have expressed his sentiments in strong langu