abitues of the place, and so
I judged to be the one or two other specimens of water-side character
whose backs I could faintly discern in one of the dim corners. Meantime
a man was approaching me.

"Let me see if I can describe him. He was about thirty, and had the
complexion and figure of a consumptive, but his eye shone with the
yellow glare of a beast of prey, and in the cadaverous hollows of his
ashen cheeks and amid the lines about his thin drawn lips there lay for
all his conciliatory smile, an expression so cold and yet so ferocious
that I spotted him at once as the man to whose genius we were indebted
for the new scheme of murder which I was jeopardizing my life to
understand. But I allowed none of the repugnance with which he inspired
me to appear in my manner, and, greeting him with half a nod, waited
for him to speak. His voice had that smooth quality which betrays the
hypocrite.

"'Has the gentleman an appointment here?' he asked, letting his glance
fall for the merest instant on the lapel of my coat.

"I returned a decided affirmative. Or rather, I went on, with a meaning
look he evidently comprehended, 'my son has, and I have made up my mind
to know just what deviltry he is up to these days. You see I can make it
worth your while to give me the opportunity.'

"'O, I see,' he assented with a glance at the pocketbook I had just
drawn out. 'You want a private room from which you can watch the young
scapegrace. I understand, I understand. But the private rooms are above.
Gentlemen are not comfortable here.'

"'I should say not,' I murmured, and drew from the pocketbook a bill
which I slid quietly into his hand. 'Now take me where I shall be
safe,' I suggested, 'and yet in full sight of the room where the young
gentlemen play. I wish to catch him at his tricks. Afterwards----'

"'All will be well,' he finished smoothly, with another glance at my
blue ribbon. 'You see I do not ask you the young gentleman's name.
I take your money and leave all the rest to you. Only don't make a
scandal, I pray, for my house has the name of being quiet.'

"'Yes,' thought I, 'too quiet!' and for an instant felt my spirits fail
me. But it was only for an instant. I had friends about me and a
pistol at half cock in the pocket of my overcoat. Why should I fear any
surprise, prepared as I was for every emergency?

"'I will show you up in a moment,' said he; and left me to put up a
heavy board-shutter over the window opening o