and, during it, he had had full view of
the green baize door which led down to the servants' quarters. Borkins
had gone through it some time before. Then he heard the butler's deep,
measured tones in the garden, and caught sight of him talking to one of
the grooms in the courtyard. He heaved something like a sigh of relief.

Dollops left, and Cleek then rejoined the two men who stood talking
together in low, earnest tones.

"Now," said he, briskly, "if you're ready, Mr. Lake, I am. Let us be off.
Sir Nigel, I hope by dinner time to have some sort of news to impart to
you, whether good or ill remains to be seen. By the way, have you, in
your employ, a dark, square-faced individual, with close-set eyes and a
straggling moustache? Rather undershot, too, I believe? It would be
interesting to me to know."

Merriton considered for a moment.

"Tell you the truth, Mr. Headland, I can't fit the description in
anywhere among the people here," he said after a pause. "Dimmock's
fairish--though he _has_ got a moustache, but it's a military one, and
Borkins is, of course, smooth shaven. The other men are clean-shaved,
too, except for old Doughty, the head gardener, and he wears a full, gray
beard. Why?"

Cleek shook his head.

"Nothing important. I was only just wondering. Now then, Lake, you'll be
late if you loiter any longer, and our--er--friends will be waiting.
Good-bye, Sir Nigel, and good luck. Lunch at one-fifteen, I take it?"

He swung upon his heel and linked his arm with Mr. Narkom's, then, taking
his cap from a peg on the hall stand, clapped it on his head and went
down and out to the task that awaited him, and a discovery which was,
to say the least of it, startling in the extreme.

They walked for some time in comparative silence, puffing at their
cigarettes. Then of a sudden, Cleek spoke.

"I say, old man, you'll want to keep a close look-out upon your own
personal safety," he said, abruptly, wheeling round and meeting his
friend full in the eyes.

"What d'you mean, C--Headland?"

"What I say. Someone's got wind of our real purpose here. I have a grave
suspicion that that Borkins was listening at my door last evening when
I was talking to Dollops. Later--well, somebody or other tried to get me
in bed. But I was one too many for him--"

"My dear Cleek!"

"Mr. Lake, I beg of you--not so loud!" ejaculated Cleek. "There are ears
everywhere, which you as a policeman ought to know. Do remember my name
and d