for which the surprising sum of twelve shillings and sixpence was
charged! In proof of that startling episode in the restaurant routine,
he produced the desk book for that day--behold it, the entry: Number
5--1 Moet & Chandon, 12_s._ 6_d._

"It is of a rare thing our customers call for wine so expensive," said
the polite manager. "Light wines, you understand, sir, we mostly sell.
Champagne at twelve and six--an event!"

Selwood carried this further news to Professor Cox-Raythwaite, who
roused himself from his microscope to consider it.

"Could that tall, dark, nicely-dressed gentleman have been Burchill?" he
muttered. "Sounds like him. But you've got a description of Dimambro, at
any rate. Now we know of one man who saw the caller at the House of
Commons--Mountain, the coachman. Come along--I'll go with you to see
Mountain."

Mountain, discovered at the mews wherein the Herapath stable was kept,
said at once that he remembered the gentleman who had come out of the
House of Commons with his late master. But when he came to be taxed with
a requirement of details, Mountain's memory proved to be of no real
value. The gentleman--well, he was a well-dressed gentleman, and he wore
a top hat. But whether the gentleman was dark or fair, elderly or
middle-aged, short or medium-heighted, he did not know--exactly.
Nevertheless----

"I should know him again, sir, if I was to set eyes on him!" said
Mountain, with such belief in his powers. "Pick him out of a thousand, I
could!"

"Queer how deficient most of our people are in the faculty of observation!"
remarked the Professor as he and Selwood left the mews. "It really is most
extraordinary that a man like that, with plenty of intelligence, and is no
doubt a good man in his own line, can look at another man for a full minute
and yet be utterly unable to tell you anything definite about him a month
later! No help there, Selwood."

It seemed to Selwood that they were face to face with an impossible
situation, and he began to feel inclined to share Mr. Halfpenny's
pessimistic opinions as to the usefulness of these researches. But
Professor Cox-Raythwaite was not to be easily daunted, and he was no
sooner baulked in one direction than he hastened to try another.

"Now, let's see where we are," he said, as they went round to Portman
Square. "We do know for a certainty that Jacob Herapath had a transaction
of some sort with one Luigi Dimambro, on November 12th, and that it
resul