her with
him. He seems to possess some sort of attraction for your family."
Phineas Duge looked at the speaker coldly, and Littleson felt that
somehow, somewhere, he had blundered. He made a great show of commencing
his first course.

"Let me know exactly," Phineas Duge said, a moment or two later, "what
you have done with regard to the man Vine."

Littleson glanced cautiously around.

"I have seen him," he said. "I have argued the matter from every
possible side. I found him, I must say, absolutely impossible. He will
not deal with us upon any terms. I fear that he is only biding his time.
Every day I see by the papers that the agitation increases, and it seems
to me that if this bill passes, we shall all practically be criminals. I
think that Norris Vine is waiting for the moment when he can do so with
the greatest dramatic effect, to fill his rotten paper with a verbatim
copy of that document."

"It would be," Phineas Duge remarked, "uncommonly awkward for you and
Weiss and the others."

"We couldn't be extradited," Littleson answered, "and I shall take
remarkably good care not to cross the ocean again until this thing has
blown over."

"If it ever does," Phineas Duge remarked quietly. "Well, go on about
Norris Vine."

Once more Littleson looked around the room.

"You know Dan Prince is over here?" he said softly.

Duge nodded.

"So far," he remarked, "his being over here does not seem to have
affected the situation."

"He has made one attempt," Littleson whispered. "He got inside, and he
had certain information that Vine was going to return that night.
Whether he had warning or not no one can tell, but he never came back.
They followed him a few nights ago across Trafalgar Square, hoping that
he was going down toward the Embankment, but he took a hansom and drove
to his club. They followed, and waited for him to come out, but there
was a policeman standing at the very entrance, within a foot of them.
This isn't New York, Duge. You can't depend upon getting the coast clear
for this sort of thing over here, and Prince will take no risks. He is a
rich man in his way, and he wants to live to enjoy his money. He's as
clever as they make them, although he's failed twice here. I fancy he
has something else pending."

"And meanwhile," Duge said quietly, "to-morrow morning's paper may
contain our damnation."

"It may, of course," Littleson answered. "I don't think so, though. He
doesn't move a yard withou