preparation.
"Drop of whisky and soda, gentlemen?" he said, hospitably. "Let me help
you. Will you try a cigar?"

"Very kind of you," replied Davidge. "A slight amount of the liquid'll
do us no harm, but no cigars, thank you, Mr. Triffitt. Cigars are apt to
leave a scent, an odour, about one's clothes, however careful you may
be, and we don't want to leave any traces of our presence where we're
going, do we, Jim?"

"Not much," assented Mr. Milsey, laconically. "Wouldn't do."

Triffitt handed round the glasses and took a share himself.

"Ah!" he said. "That's interesting! And where are you going, now--if one
may ask?"

Davidge nodded his desires for his host's good health, and then gave him
a wink.

"We propose to go in there," he said with a jerk of his thumb towards
Burchill's flat. "It's what I've been wanting to do for three or four
days, but I didn't see my way clear without resorting to a lot of
things--search-warrant, and what not--and it would have meant collusion
with the landlord here, and the clerk downstairs, and I don't know what
all, so I put it off a bit. But when you told me that you'd got this
flat, why, then, I saw my way! Of course, I've been familiar with the
lie of these flats for a week--I saw the plans of 'em downstairs as soon
as I started on to this job."

"You've been on this job from the beginning, then--in connection with
him?" exclaimed Triffitt, nodding towards the door.

"We've never had him out of our sight since I started," replied Davidge,
coolly, "except when he's been within his own four walls--where we're
presently going. Oh, yes--we've watched him."

"He's out now," remarked Triffitt.

"We know that," said Davidge. "We know where he's gone. There's a first
night, a new play, at the Terpsichoreum--he's gone there. He's safe
enough till midnight, so we've plenty of time. We just want to have a
look around his little nest while he's off it, d'you see?"

"How are you going to get in?" asked Triffitt.

Davidge nodded towards the window of the sitting-room.

"By way of that balcony," he answered. "I told you I knew all about how
these flats are arranged. That balcony's mighty convenient, for the
window'll not be any more difficult than ordinary."

"It'll be locked, you know," observed Triffitt, with a glance at his
own. "Mine is, anyway, and you can bet his will be, too."

"Oh--that doesn't matter," said Davidge, carelessly. "We're prepared.
Show Mr. Triffitt your kit,