de who
went the pace: took up with chorus girls, music hall ladies, and
persons of that stripe, and got kicked out from under the parental
roof in consequence."

"Lummy, now! think of you a-knowin' about all that!" said Mr.
Nippers, in amazement. "But then, your bein' with Mr. Narkom and
him bein' what he is--why, of course! Scotland Yard it do know
everything, I'm told, sir."

"Yes--it reads the papers occasionally, Mr. Nippers," said Cleek. "I
may take it from your reply, may I not, that I am correct regarding
Mr. Septimus Nosworth's son?"

"Indeed, yes, sir--right as rain. Leastwise, from what I've heard. I
never see the young gentleman, myself. Them things you mention
happened before Mr. Nosworth come to live in these parts--a matter
of some four years or more ago. Alwuss had his laboratory here,
sir--built it on the land he leased from Sir Ralph Droger's father
in the early sixties--and used to come over frequent and shut
hisself in the Round House for days on end; but never come here to
live until after that flare-up with Master Harry. Come then and
built livin' quarters beside the Round House and, after a piece,
fetched Miss Renfrew and old Patty Dax over to live with un."

"Miss Renfrew and old Patty Dax? Who are they?"

"Miss Renfrew is his niece, sir--darter of a dead sister. Old Patty
Dax, she war the cook. I dunno what her be now, though--her died
six months ago and un hired Mistress Armroyd in her place. French
piece, her am, though bein' widder of a Lancashire man, and though I
doan't much fancy foreigners nor their ways, this I will say: her
keeps the house like a pin and her cookin's amazin' tasty--indeed,
yes."

"You are an occasional caller in the servants' hall, I see, Mr.
Nippers," said Cleek, serenely, as he took up his coat and shook
it, preparatory to putting it on. "I think, Mr. Narkom, that in
the interests of the public at large it will be well for some one
a little more efficient than the local constabulary to look into
this case, so, if you don't mind making yourself a trifle more
presentable, it will be as well for us to get Mr. Nippers to show
us the way to the scene of the tragedy. While you are doing it I
will put a few 'Headland' questions to our friend here if you don't
mind assuring him that I am competent to advise."

"Right you are, old chap," said Narkom, taking his cue. "Nippers,
this is Mr. George Headland, one of the best of my Yard detectives.
He'll very likely give y