o say, he is becoming
over-confident of his own powers to elude us. You and I, my friend,
should be able to remember several such instances. Now, strange to say,
I came across a curious one the other day. Would you care to hear it?"

He lit a cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke while he waited for my
answer.

"Very much," I said, being well aware that his stories were always worth
hearing.

"This is a somewhat remarkable case," he said. "I will mention no names,
but doubtless you can read between the lines. There was a man who
murdered his wife in order that he might marry another woman. The
thought which he gave to it, and the clever manner in which he laid his
plans, not only for the murder, but also for the disposal of the body,
marked him as a criminal in the possession of a singularly brilliant
intellect. He gave no hint to anybody, but left the country without
leaving the faintest clue concerning his destination behind him. I was
called in to take over the case, but after some consideration could make
nothing of it. I have no objection to admitting that I was completely
baffled. Now it so happened that I discovered that the man's mother was
of Irish extraction. He, believing that he would be safe on that island,
engaged a passage on board a steamer from Havre to Belfast. She was to
pick up at Southampton, Plymouth, and Bristol, _en route_. My man, who,
by the way, was a very presentable person, and could be distinctly
sociable when he pleased, endeavoured to make himself agreeable to the
passengers on board. On the first evening out of port, the conversation
turned upon the value of diamonds, and one of the ladies on board
produced some costly stones she happened to have in her possession. The
murderer, who, you must understand, was quite safe, was unhappily eaten
up with vanity. He could not forego the boast that he was the possessor
of a magnificent ring, which had been given him by the ex-Emperor
Napoleon III. Needless to say this information excited considerable
interest, and he was asked to produce it for the general edification.

"He declared that it was too late to do so that evening, but said that he
would do so on the morrow, or, at any rate, before he left the vessel.
In the excitement of reaching Southampton the matter was for the moment
forgotten, but on the day that they arrived in Plymouth one of the lady
passengers reminded him of his promise. This was followed by another
application. Thus surro