knew the document
was stuff and nonsense, just as well as I did, and told me I was only
proposing it to swell my client's bill. Sharp as he was, he was wrong
there. The document was not to be drawn out to gain money from Mr. Frank,
but to gain time from Mr. Davager. It served me as an excuse to put off
the payment of the five hundred pounds till three o'clock on the Tuesday
afternoon. The Tuesday morning Mr. Davager said he should devote to his
amusement, and asked me what sights were to be seen in the neighborhood of
the town. When I had told him, he pitched his toothpick into my grate,
yawned, and went out.

I rang the bell once--waited till he had passed the window--and then
looked after Tom. There was my jewel of a boy on the opposite side of the
street, just setting his top going in the most playful manner possible.
Mr. Davager walked away up the street toward the market-place. Tom whipped
his top up the street toward the market-place, too.

In a quarter of an hour he came back, with all his evidence collected in a
beautifully clear and compact state. Mr. Davager had walked to a
public-house just outside the town, in a lane leading to the highroad.

On a bench outside the public-house there sat a man smoking. He said, "All
right?" and gave a letter to Mr. Davager, who answered "All right!" and
walked back to the inn. In the hall he ordered hot rum-and-water, cigars,
slippers, and a fire to be lit in his room. After that he went up-stairs,
and Tom came away.

I now saw my road clear before me--not very far on, but still clear. I had
housed the letter, in all probability for that night, at the Gatliffe
Arms. After tipping Tom, I gave him directions to play about the door of
the inn, and refresh himself when he was tired at the tart-shop opposite,
eating as much as he pleased on the understanding that he crammed all the
time with his eye on the window. If Mr. Davager went out, or Mr. Davager's
friend called on him, Tom was to let me know. He was also to take a little
note from me to the head chambermaid--an old friend of mine--asking her to
step over to my office, on a private matter of business, as soon as her
work was done for that night.

After settling these little matters, having half an hour to spare, I
turned to and did myself a bloater at the office fire, and had a drop of
gin-and-water hot, and felt comparatively happy.

When the head chambermaid came, it turned out, as good luck would have it,
that Mr.