ld of that letter you wanted, I'm blessed if he didn't turn up and
rout me out--he and a young chum of his brother's that used to be in the
swim with me. I don't think they saw me, luckily; but it was a shave,
and of course I missed the letter."

"Yes, you did; there was no mistake about that!" said Mr Shanklin
viciously. "When did you ever not miss it?"

"How can I help it, when it's your own secretary is dogging me?"

"Bless you! think of him dogging any one, the innocent! Anyhow, we can
cut off his letters home for a bit, so as to give you no excuse next
time."

"And what's the next job to be, then?" asked Durfy.

"The most particular of all," replied the sporting man. "I want a
letter with the Boldham postmark, or perhaps a telegram, that will be
delivered to-morrow night by the last post. There's a fifty pounds
turns on it, and I must have it before the morning papers are out.
Never mind what it is; you must get it somehow, and you'll get a fiver
for it. As soon as that's done, Medlock, and the young dandies' bills
have come due, we can order a cab. Your secretary at Liverpool will
hold out long enough for us to get to the moon before we're wanted."

"You're right there!" said Mr Medlock, laughing. "I'll go down and
look him up to-morrow, and clear up, and then I fancy he'll manage the
rest himself; and we can clear out. Ha, ha! capital sherry, this brand.
Have some more, Durfy."

Mr Medlock kept his promise and cheered Reginald in his loneliness by a
friendly visit.

"I've been away longer than I expected, and I must say the way you have
managed matters in my absence does you the greatest credit, Reginald. I
shall feel perfectly comfortable in future when I am absent."

A flush of pleasure rose to Reginald's cheeks, such as would have moved
to pity any heart less cold-blooded than Mr Medlock's.

"No one has called, I suppose?"

"No, sir. There's been a letter, though, from the Rev. T. Mulberry,
of Woolford-in-the-Meadow, to ask why the suit he ordered has not yet
been delivered."

Mr Medlock smiled.

"These good men are so impatient," said he; "they imagine their order is
the only one we have to think of. What would they think of the four
hundred and odd suits we have on order, eh, Mr Reginald?"

"I suppose I had better write and say the orders will be taken in
rotation, and that his will be forwarded in a few days."

"Better say a few weeks. You've no notion of the difficulty we h