.

"You are not well this morning," he remarked. "A little headache
perhaps! Won't you try one of these phenacetine lozenges--excellent
things for a headache, I believe? Warranted, in fact, to cure all bodily
ailments for ever! What! You don't like the look of them?"

The young man cowered back in his chair. He was gripping the sides
tightly with both hands, and the pallor of a ghastly fear had spread
over his face.

"I--don't know what you mean," he faltered. "I haven't a headache!"

Wingrave looked thoughtfully at the box between his fingers.

"If you took one of these, Mr. Richardson," he said, "you would never
have another, at any rate. Now, tell me, sir, how you came by them!"

"I know nothing about--" the young man began.

"Don't lie to me, sir," Wingrave said sharply. "I have been wondering
what the ---- you meant by hanging around after me, giving the deck
steward five shillings to put your chair next mine, and pretending
to read, while all the time you were trying to overhear any scraps of
conversation between my secretary and myself. I thought you were simply
guilty of impertinent curiosity. This, however, rather alters the look
of affairs."

"What does?" Richardson asked faintly. "That box ain't mine."

"Perhaps not," Wingrave answered, "but you found it in my state room and
filled it up with its present contents. My servant saw you coming out,
and immediately went in to see what you had stolen, and report you. He
found nothing missing, but he found this box full of lozenges, which he
knows quite well was half full before you went in. Now, what was your
object, Mr. Richardson, in tampering with that box upon my shelf?"

"I have--I have never seen it before," Richardson declared. "I have
never been in your state room!"

The deck steward was passing. Wingrave summoned him.

"I wish you would ask my servant to step this way," he said. "You will
find him in my state room."

The man disappeared through the companion way. Richardson rose to his
feet.

"I'm not going to stay here to be bullied and cross examined," he
declared. "I'm off!"

"One moment," Wingrave said. "If you leave me now, I shall ask the
captain to place you under arrest."

Richardson looked half fearfully around.

"What for?"

"Attempted murder! Very clumsily attempted, but attempted murder none
the less."

The young man collapsed. Wingrave's servant came down the deck.

"You sent for me, sir?" he inquired respectfully.