ed. He was a little disappointed.

"You know about his collection of broken-down horses in the park at The
Walled House, too, then, I suppose? They come whinnying after him like a
flock of sheep whenever he shows himself."

"I know about them, too," Francis admitted. "I was present once when he
got out of his car, knocked a carter down who was ill-treating a horse,
bought it on the spot and sent it home."

Shopland smiled, inscrutably yet with the air of one vastly pleased.

"These little side-shows," he said, "are what help to make this, which I
believe will be the greatest case of my life, so supremely interesting.
Any one of my fraternity," he continued, with an air of satisfaction,
"can take hold of a thread and follow it step by step, and wind up with
the handcuffs, as I did myself with the young man Fairfax. But a case
like this, which includes a study of temperament, requires something
more."

They were seated once more in the taxicab, on their way westward.
Francis for the first time was conscious of an utterly new sensation
with regard to his companion. He watched him through half-closed
eyes--an insignificant-looking little man whose clothes, though neat,
were ill-chosen, and whose tie was an offense. There was nothing in the
face to denote unusual intelligence, but the eyes were small and cunning
and the mouth dogged. Francis looked away out of the window. A sudden
flash of realisation had come to him, a wave of unreasoning but positive
dislike.

"When do you hope to bring your case to an end?" he asked.

The man smiled once more, and the very smile irritated his companion.

"Within the course of the next few days, sir," he replied.

"And the charge?"

The detective turned around.

"Mr. Ledsam," he said, "we have been old friends, if you will allow me
to use the word, ever since I was promoted to my present position in
the Force. You have trusted me with a good many cases, and I acknowledge
myself your debtor, but in the matter of Sir Timothy Brast, you will
forgive my saying with all respect, sir, that our ways seem to lie a
little apart."

"Will you tell me why you have arrived at that conclusion?" Francis
asked. "It was I who first incited you to set a watch upon Sir Timothy.
It was to you I first mentioned certain suspicions I myself had with
regard to him. I treated you with every confidence. Why do you now
withhold yours from me?"

"It is quite true, Mr. Ledsam," Shopland admitted, "that