ated matters.

He had a couple of hours to fill in before repairing to the station, and
feeling in the mood for exercise, he set out for a brisk walk, careless
of whither his steps led him while he pondered over his recent interview
with Clive.

After the quiet and pastoral solitude of Littlefield London seemed
unpleasantly crowded and noisy. The reek of petrol was a poor substitute
for the clean country air, and the hoot of innumerable motors and 'buses
struck on his ear with new and singularly disagreeable force as he took
his way along Piccadilly.

Suddenly a noise considerably louder and more ominous than the rest
penetrated his hearing, and looking hastily round he saw that a
collision had taken place between a taxi-cab and a motor-van bearing the
name of a well-known firm in Oxford Street--with apparently tragic
results to the taxi-cab, which lurched in the road like a drunken man
vainly attempting to steer a straight course, and eventually toppled
half over on to the pavement, where it struck a lamp-post with a
terrific crash as it came to rest.

With the rapidity peculiar to the life of cities a crowd instantly began
to assemble; and as a burly policeman, notebook in hand, pushed through
the people, a middle-aged gentleman stepped, with some difficulty, out
of the wrecked cab, and stumbled forward on to the kerb, almost into the
arms of Anstice, who reached the spot at the same moment and caught him
as he staggered and seemed about to fall.

"Hold up, sir!" Anstice involuntarily gripped the gentleman's shoulder
to support him; and his friendly tone and prompt help apparently assured
the other man, who pulled himself together pluckily.

"Thanks, thanks!" He was white, and evidently had been somewhat upset,
for the taxi had swerved half across the road to the discomfort of its
occupant. "You are most kind. I am really not hurt, only a little
shaken. The driver of the van was entirely to blame--I hope, constable,
you will make all possible inquiries into the matter."

As a first step towards doing so the policeman stolidly requested the
speaker's name and address, and these having been furnished he proceeded
to interrogate the van-driver and the taxi-man, both of whom were only
too ready to pour out voluble explanations, each accusing the other of
carelessness with a freedom of language only known, apparently, to those
who have intimate acquaintance with the dark ways of motors and their
accompanying vices.