given that envelope by that guy over there. I ain't got no more notion what's in it than nobody at all. And take your fist out of my windpipe," he added, feebly.

The plain-clothes officer looked at me suspiciously, but it was too late to retire. I opened my overcoat, so that my dress shirt should show to the best effect.

What's that he says?" I asked, haughtily.

The officer saluted with his free hand. "Says you gave him this 'ere packet of dope," he announced. "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for your name and address, sir."

Once more I saw Vine Street looming before me. But there was no time for hedging.

That's all right, officer," I said. "Smithson's my name. The Wanderers' Club. I'm sorry I haven't got a card on me."

I'm very glad to hear it," I said, truthfully.

"I've got all the evidence I want in this little envelope," explained the plainclothes man. We've been after him the best part of a week, but we've got him properly now. Smithson, did you say, sir? Thank you, sir. Good night to you, sir." I watched them marching off together, their back view presenting a very deceitful picture of the friendliness of their relations, and then, once again, I turned up towards Piccadilly. It struck me that what with the Chinaman, the conspirator, and Mr. Smithson, of the Wanderers' Club, the detective force at Vine Street would find themselves presented with as pretty a problem as any that could have come their way for quite a considerable time. Yet it also occurred to me that it might be a good thing if I hurried on certain plans which I had at this time for paying a visit of some months to the Continent.

EANWHILE, I was becoming in

Mcreasingly aware of a painful stiff

ness in the leg which had been subjected to the double strain of my leap from the moving taxi-cab and of the alleged dope-fiend's attack. By the time I reached the corner of my own street I really could hardly walk; and between this corner and the door of my flat I should think that I must have stopped nearly a dozen times, while I clutched at the railings and relieved myself with a selection of groans and curses. But at length I dragged myself up my stairs and, taking out my latchkey, opened my own front door.

As I did so I had a strange impression of a brief flash of light through the door of my sitting-room. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but as mine was a service flat, into which no one with any business to do so could be expected to enter for another six or seven hours, I raised my voice and called out.

'Hallo!" I said. Is anyone there?' Dead silence greeted this inquiry. After all, I thought, perhaps I imagined it, or perhaps it was a light from some vehicle in the street shining for a moment through the window. I slipped off my overcoat, dropped my hat on to a chair, and, crossing the hall, switched on the light in my bath

room.

At this point the telephone bell in the sitting-room suddenly began to peal.

'Oh, curse the thing! I muttered, and once again I limped out into the hall. Who on earth, I wondered, could want to ring me up at nearly one in the morning? Another of those infernal wrong numbers, most likely.

I put my hand on the switch just inside the sitting-room door and turned on the light. The next moment both my arms had shot up in the air, in obedience to an irresistibly worded command. Standing in the middle of the room was a seedy-looking man with an uncommonly dirty face, and in his right hand, which was directed unwaveringly towards my waistcoat, was a horrible little black automatic pistol.

And keep 'em up," added this alarming vision, taking a step towards me.

This," I thought, is quite unmistakably my unlucky evening. I wonder what happens next?" But I said nothing; I only reflected on the extreme annoyance which it would cause me should that automatic pistol accidentally go off.

Nah, then," said the seedy-looking man. Wot are you doing 'ere?"

But for the presence of that pistol, my retort would have been obvious. For the moment, however, the tu quoque struck me as a very much overrated form of repartee.

continue to stand there on my aching leg, with my arms becoming stiffer and more uncomfortable every second?

Meanwhile in the burglar's countenance there appeared a convulsive spasm, which seemed to register the birth of a fresh thought.

"Look 'ere," he said, again taking a step towards me. "'Oo told you as I was called

'John,' eh?"

I tried to laugh.

Nobody," I said. "At least, it's no use trying to explain. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

No," said the burglar, with the utmost vehemence, "I would not. And do you know why, mister blinking boiled-shirt? Cos, if you arst me, you ain't got no more business in this flat than wot I 'aven't. Tried to kid me I'd come to the wrong address, did yer? D'yer think I don't see your little game?

"

I could only gape at these mysterious suggestions.

"Ho, yuss," added the burglar, his eyes now rolling with fury and the muzzle of his automatic wobbling wildly all over my person. "D'yer think I'm such a mug I don't see wot you're after? Why, you ruddy swell, I 'eard that limp of yours the minute you come inside the door. Gentleman Jenkins of Portland Jail, that's your number. But I'll learn yer to come 'ere, doing an honest cove out of a job. Them Wokingham sparklers is mine, d'yer see? And when I've got 'em, I'm going to leave you 'ere for the cops. Nah, then, wot abaht it?"

Pull down the blind, for Heaven's sake," I groaned. And tell me, how many bullet holes have I got in me?"

None, sir," said the valet. "Only that crack on the head, sir. And the doctor says you'll soon get over that. I'm afraid he got right away, though, sir.”

The doctor, do you mean?” I asked, wearily.

"No, sir; the burglar. But I can't find as he's taken anything. Only smashed up your sitting-room a bit. Would you like some breakfast, sir?"

"No," I said, shuddering.

The vision of the valet faded away, and I passed off into an uncomfortable mixture of sleep and unconsciousness, with an intermittent nightmare of police and handcuffs. After what might have been minutes or months--I had no idea which I heard the door opening again.

Get out," I said.

'I say," answered a voice, "I'm awfully sorry about this, old chap. I—”

I opened my eyes. For a moment I thought I was seeing my own ghost. A figure with its arm in a sling and its face heavily decorated with sticking-plaster was standing at the foot of the bed. Then I suddenly recognized it.

"Well," I said, "I can't say that in the circumstances I think your disguise is in very good taste. But you've lost your bet,

Bet! shouted John Freemantle, while a sharp stab of agony made me gasp for breath. "I've come to tell you that infernal bet is off. I wish to Heaven I'd never been such a thundering ass as to take it on !” 'What!" I exclaimed, trying to sit up, and falling back with another groan. Well, you don't wish it any more than I do. But what's made you change your mind?”'

"I thought it would be a jolly good idea," said John," to dress up as a woman and come round here last night and see if you'd let me into the flat."

"Did you?" I asked, shutting my eyes again.

Yes," said John Freemantle. "I borrowed some things from a girl I met at the Savoy, and I had a wig that I'd bought when I played Mercutio at Blackpool. Bobbed hair, you know. I dare say it would have been all right if I'd come round in a cab; but, like a silly idiot, I thought it would be fun to walk. I only got half-way up the Haymarket, when I saw that I was being followed by a policeman. I tried to dodge him, but it was no use. Then I got the wind up and started to run, but with those infernal skirts round my legs I hadn't a dog's chance. He caught me in a blind alley off Jermyn Street, and though I put up a bit of a fight, the brute got me down with some kind of jiu-jitsu. He dragged ine off to Vine Street. with a crowd of beastly people jeering at me all the way and my face bleeding like a butcher's shop where I'd hit the pavement. I did my best to explain that it was only a joke and that I was doing it for a bet; I even got the inspector to try and ring up your flat, because I thought you might back me up or bail me out; but he couldn't get any answer.”

"

No," I said. That's quite right. He

couldn't."

"Well," continued John, I spent th night in the cells, and this morning I was had up before the beak and charged with masquerading in female costume and assaulting a police-constable in the execution of his duty. I suppose I was dashed lucky to get off with a fine-the beak said I was, anyhow. And I had the sense to give them my real name, so it won't hurt me professionally if it gets in the papers. But look here, old chap," he added. What I really came round for was to pay you that tenner. You win all right, because I'm not going

on.

I've had about enough of it. But it it hadn't been for that infernal policeman, I'd have shown you something."

Keep your filthy lucre," I replied. "I'm not going to make my living out of bloodmoney. Moreover," I added, impressively,