down.

"Oh," I said, polishing my glass, "the gentleman--is he one of my--"

"It ain't a gentleman, sir,"--Jenkins got it out with difficulty; "it's
only just--er--a person!"

"Eh? Oh, I say, now, Jenkins!" I protested.

"A person from the--" Jenkins blinked. "In fact, a police person--" his
chin went up and he so far forgot himself as to indulge in a
sniff--"come to see you about--" his eyebrows angled a lofty protest at
the housekeeper's strained poise--"h'm--to see you about--_you_ know!"

I was dashed if I knew--but not so Miss Warfield! She gave a sudden gasp
and whirled herself in front of me, hands up and clasped like the other
woman in a jolly play you know.

"Oh, sir!" she tremuloed, "Please--_please_--"

"Eh?" I said in alarm and stepping back, for, dash it, _I_ didn't know
what she wanted; and for a moment I had an awful thought she wanted me
to--_you_ know! But the next second, I had her right.

"Um!" I said, tightening my lips. "Well, I'll see!" And she looked so
white--white as the driven what's-its-name, you know--that I felt my
devilish heart go out to her a bit. "All right," I added soothingly,
"you just go on about your duties and sit tight, you know, and I'll see
if I can--er--fix things!"

And, by Jove, I got past just in time to keep her from catching my hand
and wringing herself over it.

"What the deuce--" I began outside, as Jenkins steered me toward the
_porte-cochere_.

He looked warily at the footman waiting to serve us at the door--dashed
if he didn't almost lay his hand on my arm!

Then, behind his hand: "It's about the pajamas, sir!"

"Eh?" I gasped, falling back.

He stooped after me and his breath tickled my ear:

"_Hers_, sir! _You_ know, that night--h'm!"

"Oh!" I said faintly. And this time he _did_ catch my arm, and I was
devilish glad, by Jove!

CHAPTER XXVII

I RECOVER THE PAJAMAS

Outside, swinging his club and kicking his heel in the macadam, I found
a fat policeman--from New York, I knew by his helmet.

He turned and I saw--O'Keefe!

"Oh, there you are, sir!" And with a careless duck and a wave, he ambled
forward and placed in my hands a parcel.

"It's them, all right!" he said with a fat wink. "The black silk
pajamas--we got 'em, you see!"

"Jove!" I ejaculated, staring. Then suddenly I got the jolly idea full
and strong, you know, and I was just so dashed relieved and delighted, I
shook hands with him--fact!

"Oh, I say, Jenkins," I rema