ed
lounge-chair, nodded deferentially. Mr. Belford took up the bundle of
letters.

"This," he said, passing one to the man from Scotland Yard, "is that
which I received upon the 28th ultimo."

Chief-Inspector Sheffield bent forward to the shaded light and ran his
eyes over the following, written in a neat hand upon a plain
correspondence card:

"Severac Bablon begs to present his compliments to His Majesty's
Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department and to request
the honour of a private interview, which, he begs to assure the
right honourable gentleman, would be mutually advantageous. The
words, 'Safe conduct.--W. B.,' together with time and place
proposed, in the agony column of _The Times_, he will accept as a
sufficient guarantee of the right honourable gentleman's
intentions."

"And this," continued Mr. Belford, selecting a second, "reached me upon
the 7th instant":

"Severac Bablon begs to present his compliments to His Majesty's
Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department and to urge
upon him the absolute necessity of an immediate interview. He would
respectfully assure the right honourable gentleman that high issues
are at stake."

"Finally," continued the politician, as Sheffield laid the second card
upon the table, "I received this upon the 13th instant--yesterday":

"Severac Bablon begs to present his compliments to His Majesty's
Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department and to inform
the right honourable gentleman that he having failed to appoint a
time of meeting, Severac Bablon is forced by circumstances to make
his own appointment, and will venture to present himself at Womsley
Old Place on the evening of the 14th instant, between the hours of
8 and 9."

Mr. Belford leant back in his chair, turning it slightly that he might
face the detective.

"My information is," he said, in his finely modulated voice, "that you
are personally familiar with the appearance of this Severac
Bablon"--Sheffield nodded--"but that no one else, or--ah--no one whom we
may call upon--is in a position to identify him. Now, apart from the
fact that I have reason to fear his taking some improper measures to see
me here, this singular case is rapidly assuming a political
significance!" He made the impressive pause of the cultured
elocutionist. "Unofficially, I am advised that there is some wa