, but some passerby. However, I looked up
at George with a smile, and found him looking down at me with much the
same humour. We had often spoken of the odd phrases one hears in the
street, and how interesting it would be sometimes to hear a little more
of the conversation.

"That's a case in point," he laughed, as he guided me through the crowd
of theatre-goers which invariably block this part of Broadway at the
hour of eight. "We shall never know whose eulogy we have just heard. 'A
remarkable man!' There are not many of them."

"No," was my somewhat indifferent reply. It was a keen winter night and
snow was packed upon the walks in a way to throw into sharp relief the
figures of such pedestrians as happened to be walking alone. "But it
seems to me that, so far as general appearance goes, the one in front
answers your description most admirably."

I pointed to a man hurrying around the corner just ahead of us.

"Yes, he's remarkably well built. I noticed him when he came out of the
Clermont." This was a hotel we had just passed.

"But it's not only that. It's his height, his very striking features,
his expression--" I stopped suddenly, gripping George's arm convulsively
in a surprise he appeared to share. We had turned the corner immediately
behind the man of whom we were speaking and so had him still in full
view.

"What's he doing?" I asked, in a low whisper. We were only a few feet
behind. "Look! look! don't you call that curious?"

My husband stared, then uttered a low, "Rather." The man ahead of us,
presenting in every respect the appearance of a gentleman, had suddenly
stooped to the kerb and was washing his hands in the snow, furtively,
but with a vigour and purpose which could not fail to arouse the
strangest conjectures in any chance onlooker.

"Pilate!" escaped my lips, in a sort of nervous chuckle. But George
shook his head at me.

"I don't like it," he muttered, with unusual gravity. "Did you see his
face?" Then as the man rose and hurried away from us down the street, "I
should like to follow him. I do believe--"

But here we became aware of a quick rush and sudden clamour around the
corner we had just left, and turning quickly, saw that something had
occurred on Broadway which was fast causing a tumult.

"What's the matter?" I cried. "What can have happened? Let's go see,
George. Perhaps it has something to do with our man."

My husband, with a final glance down the street at the fast disapp