cNairne had never been on board Brederode's boat. I was
going on to say more things, when Sir Alec exclaimed, "Why, _you_ ought
to know where the boat is, and who's on board her. You and Brederode
were together to-night, and----"

"We hadn't been together for ten minutes," I vowed; and kept to the
strict letter of the truth, for I had been smoking alone in the garden
when Brederode came back and proposed that after all we should have a
stroll round the fair. It hadn't taken us ten minutes to get there from
the hotel.

"I didn't ask Brederode any questions about himself after meeting him,"
I went on; and that also was strictly true. "But," I hurriedly added,
seeing a loophole of escape, "I can look him up, if you like, and,
without mentioning your name, find out whether Aunt Fay is, or ever has
been, with his party, which I doubt. Don't you think, for the sake of
her name and yours, that would be better than for you to seek him out
and make a row, before you're sure whether there's anything to row
about?"

Sir Alec reflected for a minute, which was evidently an effort, then
answered that perhaps I was right. But supposing I missed Brederode,
whose haste to slip away went far to prove his guilt?

I would not miss him, said I. And his disappearance proved nothing.
There were those pretty Frisian girls that he--Sir Alec--had been
protecting when Rudolph and I came along. Brederode had probably
escorted them home, not seeing any reason why he should interrupt our
conversation.

My innocent surprise on hearing that, despite their costumes, the girls
were not Frisian girls, but English or American ladies he had met in
Amsterdam, convinced Sir Alec that they were strangers to me. And
finally the scene ended by my promising to find Brederode, who was
certainly--I said--stopping in the town, whether or no he had brought a
motor-boat to Leeuwarden. I was to question Brederode in a diplomatic
manner, and then to report to Sir Alec, on a motor-launch he had hired
in Amsterdam, as the best means of tracking down the craft for which he
sought. This boat, "Wilhelmina," was now in the canal at Leeuwarden,
but, for reasons intimately concerning that canal, he had taken a room
for the night at a hotel recommended by his chauffeur.

Fortunate it was for us that the chauffeur did not happen to prefer our
hotel; and almost equally fortunate that Sir Alec was not spending much
time on board his hired vessel, for, were he lurking there,