watch--you shall have the
answer to the riddle--_here_."

Then, with a bow to Lady Mary, he walked out of the stable and went
round the angle of the building after Maggie McFarland.

CHAPTER XIV

He lived up to the letter of his promise.

In an hour he had said when he walked out, and it was an hour to the
very tick of the minute when he came back.

Mr. Narkom knowing him so well, knowing how, in the final moments
of his _coups_, he was apt to become somewhat spectacular and
theatrical, looked for him to return with a flourish of trumpets
and carry all before him with a whirlwind rush; so that it came in
the nature of a great surprise, when with the calmness of a man
coming in to tea he entered the stable with a large stone bottle in
one hand and an hostler's sponge in the other.

"Well, gentlemen, I am here, you see," he said with extreme calmness.
"And"--indicating the bottle--"have brought something with me to
do honour to the event. No, not to drink--it is hardly that sort
of stuff. It is Spirit of Wine, Major. I found it over in Farrow's
cottage and have brought it with me--as he, poor chap, meant to do
in time himself. There are some wonderful things in Tom Farrow's
cottage, Major; they will pay for looking into, I assure you.
Pardon, Mr. Narkom? A criminal? Oh, no, my friend--a martyr!"

"A martyr?"

"Yes, your ladyship; yes, Major--a martyr. A martyr to his love, a
martyr to his fidelity. As square a man and as faithful a trainer
as ever set foot in a stable-yard--that's Tom Farrow. I take off my
hat to him. The world can do with more of his kind."

"But, my dear sir, you said that it was he that spirited away the
animal; that it was he and he alone who was responsible for her
disappearance."

"Quite so--and I say it again. Gently, gently, Major--I'll come to
it in a minute. Personally I should like to put it off to the last,
it's such a fine thing for a finish, by Jove! But--well it can't be
done under the circumstances. In other words, there is a part of
this little business this evening which I must ask Lady Mary not to
stop to either hear or see; but as she is naturally interested in
the matter of Highland Lassie's disappearance I will take up that
matter first and ask her to kindly withdraw after the filly has
been restored."

"Gad! you've found her, then? You've got her?"

"Yes, Major, I've got her. And as I promised that I would put her
bridle into your hand with the animal herse