heimer creature between them did not mean to let me
stir out of their sight.

Still, I shall try. I shall take a little turn on the Embankment, and
watch the barges on the river. That ought to have a soothing influence.

How perfectly terrible if I am stopped in the vestibule!...

I was not stopped.

Nobody seemed to see me go out.

But when I got out into the Strand, with its summer evening crowds of
people, I happened to glance across the street, and beheld some one that
I had just seen in my room--namely, the quiet-faced man from Scotland
Yard. How awful! I was being shadowed! It was a horrible feeling. So
horrible that I am sure it could not have been any worse if I had really
taken the Rattenheimer ruby, and had it fastened securely inside my
black coat at the moment!

I felt as if I had. I wondered if the man would come across and dog my
footsteps!

I turned down one of the little quiet streets on the right that lead to
the river, and then I did hear footsteps behind me. They were
following--positively following--me!

"Good evening!" said a quite friendly but un-English voice. It was not
the Scotland Yard detective, then, after all. I turned. It was the young
American.

CHAPTER XXII

HER COUSIN TO THE RESCUE

"GOOD evening," I said, coldly looking up at the young man, with a
glance that said as plainly as possible, "What do you want?"

"I hoped you might be kind enough to allow me to escort you on this
little stroll of yours, Miss Smith," said the young American politely,
lifting his grey felt hat. "See here, I guess I'd better introdooce
myself. I'm Hiram P. Jessop, of Chicago."

"You are a detective, too, I suppose," I said, still more coldly. We
were standing by the railings of the old London churchyard close to the
river. The dark-green leaves of the plane-trees rustled above us. "I
suppose you are following me to find out if I'm taking Mr.
Rattenheimer's ruby to a pawnshop?"

The young American smiled cheerfully down at me.

"Nix on the detective racket here," he said, in his queer, slow,
pleasant accent. "You can cut out that about Rats and his ruby, I guess.
I don't care a row o' beans where his old ruby has gann to. What I
wanted to ask you about was----" He concluded with a most unexpected two
words--

--"My cousin!"

I stared up at this big young stranger in the padded grey coat.

"Your cousin? But--I think you're