Court the other day, and----"

The colonel's eyes narrowed.

"Well, sit down and be sociable. If you're suggesting that I'm going to
poison you, you're also suggesting that you know something which I don't
want you to tell. Or that you have discovered one of those terrible
secrets that the newspapers are all writing about. Now be a sensible
man; have a drink."

The man hesitated.

"You have a drink of whisky out of the same bottle, and I'll join you."

"Help yourself," said the colonel good-naturedly. "Give me any glass you
like."

The man went to the sideboard, poured out two pegs and sent the
soda-water sizzling into the long glasses.

"Here's yours and here's mine," he said; "good luck!"

He drank the whisky off, after he had seen the colonel drink his, and
wiped his mouth with a gaudy handkerchief.

"I'm taking it for granted," said the colonel, "that we've made no
mistake and that you were listening at our door. Now we want no
unpleasantness, and we'll talk about this matter as sensible human
beings and man to man."

"That's the way to talk," said the other, smacking his lips.

"You've been sent here to watch me."

"I may have and I may not have," said the other.

Pinto shifted impatiently, but the colonel stopped him with a look.

"Now let me see what you are," mused the colonel, still wearing that
benevolent smile of his. "You're not an ordinary tradesman. You've got a
look of the book canvasser about you. I have it--you're a private
detective!"

The man smirked.

"Perhaps I am," said he, "and," he added, "perhaps I'm not."

The colonel slapped him on the shoulder.

"Of course you are," he said confidently; "we don't see shrewd-looking
fellows like you every day. You're a split!"

"Not official," said the man quickly.

He had all the English private detective's fear of posing as the genuine
article.

"Now look here," said the colonel, "I'm going to be perfectly straight
with you, and you've got to be straight with me. That's fair, isn't it?"

"Quite fair," said the man; "if I've been misconducting myself in any
manner----"

"Don't mention it," said the colonel politely, "my friend here will
apologise for handling you roughly, I'm sure; won't you, Mr. Silva?"

"Sure!" said the other, without any great heartiness.

He was tired of this conversation and was anxious to know where it was
leading.

"You're not in the private detective business for your health," said the
colonel, and t