nced up in surprise.

"Why, yes, I did give an option to an Englishman. By the way, you're
English, are you not?"

"I was born over there."

"This Englishman wasn't your sort. He was a most plausible talker, and
as I told you, my judgment of men is sometimes at fault. I gave him
an option for two months, but I think all he wanted was to get an
automobile for nothing. He said he represented a syndicate of English
capitalists, some of whom were in New York, and he borrowed the only car
I had completed at that time. That was four months ago. Like the
preacher after the futile collection, I wanted to get back my hat at
least, but although I wrote letter after letter, I never received any
answer. It wasn't worth my while to set the police on his track, so I
tried to forget him, and succeeded until you spoke of an option just
now."

"That agreement lapsed two months ago?"

"Yes."

"Then write out an option for me, good for a week. I'll pay you five
hundred dollars down, to be forfeited if I fail to do what I promise."

"I'll give you the document with pleasure, but it is unnecessary to make
a deposit."

"This is business, you know, Mr. Sterling. You are pretending you are as
bad a business man as I am. I don't know much about the law of America,
but I think you will find that unless a deposit is made, your instrument
would be invalid in a court of law. There must be value received, I
believe, when a bargain is made."

"All right," said Sterling, "but I'll give you back your money if you
regret the deal."

He went to a desk in the corner, and wrote out the agreement, in which
he acknowledged the receipt of five hundred dollars. Stranleigh selected
from his wallet five bills for a hundred dollars each, and handed them
over, then bidding farewell to the engineer, walked to his hotel,
followed at a discreet distance by Mr. Wentworth Parkes.

Having located his quarry, Parkes retraced his steps to Woodbridge
Street, deep in thought. His first resolution was to try bluster, but he
abandoned that idea for two reasons, each conclusive in its way. His
slight acquaintance with the engineer had convinced him that while much
could be done with Sterling by persuasion, he would not yield to force,
and secondly, the motor builder had no money. Whatever gold he was to
acquire in his deal must come from Lord Stranleigh. It was, therefore, a
mild and innocent lamb of a man who entered the machine shop of
Woodbridge Street.

"H