was familiar to him, although he could not, for the moment,
place it.

"Do you want to see me?" Laverick asked.

"If you please, Mr. Laverick," the man replied, "if you could spare
me just a moment."

"You had better come inside, then," Laverick said, closing the door
and preceding the way into the sitting-room. At any rate, there
was nothing threatening about the appearance of this visitor--nor
anything official.

"I have taken the liberty of coming, sir," the man announced, "to
ask you if you can tell me where I can find Mr. Arthur Morrison."

Laverick's face showed no sign of his relief. What he felt he
succeeded in keeping to himself.

"You mean Morrison--my partner, I suppose?" he answered.

"If you please, sir," the man admitted. "I wanted a word or two
with him most particular. I found out his address from the
caretaker of your office, but he don't seem to have been home to
his rooms at all last night, and they know nothing about him there."

"Your face seems familiar to me," Laverick remarked. "Where do you
come from?"

The man hesitated.

"I am the waiter, sir, at the 'Black Post,'--little bar and
restaurant, you know," he added, "just behind your offices, sir,
at the end of Crooked Friars' Alley. You've been in once or
twice, Mr. Laverick, I think. Mr. Morrison's a regular customer.
He comes in for a drink most mornings."

Laverick nodded.

"I knew I'd seen your face somewhere," he said. "What do you want
with Mr. Morrison?"

The man was silent. He twirled his hat and looked embarrassed.

"It's a matter I shouldn't like to mention to any one except Mr.
Morrison himself, sir," he declared finally. "If you could put me
in the way of seeing him, I'd be glad. I may say that it would be
to his advantage, too."

Laverick was thoughtful for a moment.

"As it happens, that's a little difficult," he explained. "Mr.
Morrison and I disagreed on a matter of business last night. I
undertook certain responsibilities which he should have shared,
and he arranged to leave the firm and the country at once. We
parted--well, not exactly the best of friends. I am afraid I
cannot give you any information."

"You haven't seen him since then, sir?" the man asked.

Laverick lied promptly but he lied badly. His visitor was not in
the least convinced.

"I am afraid I haven't made myself quite plain, sir," he said.
"It's to do him a bit o' good that I'm here. I'm not wishing him
any harm at