ou been
similarly situated. I never was much of a success in the moral
business."

I could well believe this, but I did not tell him so.

"When did you first become aware that they were in London?"

"On the day that they landed," he answered. "I watched every ship that
came in from Rangoon, and at last had the doubtful satisfaction of
seeing my two old friends pass out of the dock-gates. Poor beggars, they
had indeed had a hard time of it."

"Then you could pity them? Even while you were robbing them?"

"Why not," he answered. "There was no reason because I had the stones
that I should not feel sorry for the pain they had suffered. I had to
remember how near I'd been to it myself."

This speech sounded very pretty though somewhat illogical.

"And pray how did you know that they had called in my assistance?"

"Because I kept my eyes on them. I know Mr. Kitwater of old, you see. I
watched them go into your office and come out from a shop on the other
side of the street."

The whole mystery was now explained. What an amount of trouble I should
have been spared had I only known this before?

"You did not approve then of my being imported into the case?"

"I distinctly disapproved," he answered. "I know your reputation, of
course, and I began to see that if you took up their case for them I
should in all probability have to climb down."

"It is doubtless for that reason you called upon me, representing
yourself to be Mr. Bayley, Managing Director of that South American
Mining Company? I can now quite understand your motive. You wanted to
get me out of the way in order that I might not hunt you? Is that
not so?"

"You hit the nail upon the head exactly. But you were virtuous, and
would not swallow the bait. It would have simplified matters from my
point of view if you had. I should not have been compelled to waste my
money upon those two roughs, nor would you have spent an exceedingly
uncomfortable quarter of an hour in that doorway in Holywell street."

This was news indeed. So he had been aware of my presence there? I put
the question to him.

"Oh! Yes! I knew you were there," he said with a laugh. "And I can tell
you I did not like the situation one bit. As a matter of fact I found
that it required all my nerve to pretend that I did not know it. Every
moment I expected you to come out and speak to me. I can assure you the
failure of my plot was no end of a disappointment to me. I had expected
to see the