have been
traces of my rage still visible in my voice as I demanded to know why a
peaceable citizen should be subjected to such ignominy.

The inspector in reply merely asked me for my name and address.

Before meeting Miss Maitland I had cherished the hope that my identity
would not be disclosed, but now I had no further reason for desiring to
conceal it, I gave both at once.

The inspector quietly made a note of them, while another man in plain
clothes, who was standing gazing out of the window, suddenly turned on
me with the inquiry--

"How comes it, Mr. Sutgrove, that living at St. Albans you should choose
to spend the night at a little inn at King's Langley?"

"I suppose I am at liberty to sleep where I like?" I retorted.

"Perfectly so," replied the stranger. "You will have no difficulty, I
presume, in proving your identity?"

"Not the slightest," I said. "In fact I have already wired to a friend
of mine--Mr. Winter, of Hailscombe, St. Albans--to come here for the
purpose."

"I know Mr. Winter very well," said the inspector.

The stranger looked at me keenly, and when his scrutiny was completed he
fell to whistling a bar of Chopin's _Marche Funebre_. Then he turned to
his colleague in uniform.

"It's no go," he said. "This is not our man." Again he turned to me. "I
am Inspector Forrest of Scotland Yard, detailed for special duty in
connection with this Motor Pirate affair. Unfortunately I did not reach
Watford until after arrangements had been made to bring you here, or----
I hope you will not take it amiss if we detain you until Mr. Winter's
arrival."

This gave me the opening I had been wishing for, and I took it. I said a
lot more than I can recall now, though I can remember a good deal. Most
of it was to the effect that I would make somebody pay dearly for the
annoyance to which I had been subjected.

Inspector Forrest listened patiently to me until I had finished.

"Come, come, Mr. Sutgrove!" he said then. "You must not bear any malice.
Surely you must admit that appearances were not altogether in your
favour," and he detailed to me the information which had led to my
arrest. "You see," he said in conclusion, "that practically we had no
option in the matter."

I dissented from his view. He said a word to the inspector in uniform,
who left us alone in the room. Then he came close to me and remarked in
a confidential tone.

"The fact is, our friend, who has just left us, has been too
precipi