hospital nurse, too ill to be seen. A financial crisis
arises and Jacob is asked to find a trifle of six hundred thousand
dollars to pay some differences on your account. The dear boy was on
the point of signing his cheque when I popped in and put the kybosh on
it."

"But what on earth made you suspicious?" Jacob demanded.

"First night we were out together," Felixstowe continued, "I began to
tumble to it that Morse here had a pretty considerable acquaintance
amongst the crooks. Then he dropped a note from you, Mr. Pratt, saying
that you were staying three or four days at the Touraine Hotel in
Boston, on your way home, so I slipped out and sent that dispatch to
you on the chance. Last night again he made one or two bloomers, so
this morning I just hopped round to Doctor Bardolf's address, and
that, of course, busted the whole show."

"Make me out a list of the people in my household associated with you
in this," his employer ordered Morse sternly, "and bring it to my den
immediately.--Stay where you are, Worstead. I shall treat you both
alike.--Jacob," he added, indicating Felixstowe, "who is this
remarkably intelligent young man?"

"My secretary," Jacob replied.

"Name of Felixstowe," the young man observed, holding out his hand
with a winning smile. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Samuel Pratt."

Samuel passed a hand through the arm of each.

"Come right along with me, boys, to my den, where the still waters
flow," he invited. "We'll talk over the business quietly. Bring me the
list I asked for in five minutes, Morse, and you'd better induce Mr.
Worstead to take a seat and wait quietly. I stopped at the station and
brought along a couple of plain-clothes men, in case there was any
trouble.--This way."

CHAPTER XXVIII

Jacob and Lord Felixstowe stood side by side on the deck of a
homeward-bound steamer, a few weeks later, watching the pilot come out
from Plymouth Harbour.

"Some trip," the latter remarked, with a reminiscent sigh. "I feel as
though I'd had the beano of my life."

"You scored it up against me, all right," Jacob acknowledged. "Those
fellows might easily have got away with my hundred thousand pounds.
I'm not at all sure that I ought not to settle an annuity on you."

"Nothing doing," was the prompt reply. "Believe me, Jacob, old dear,
mine is one of those peculiar intelligences which thrive best in a
state of penury. Give me an absolutely assured income and my talents
would rust. I should