before approaching Markham, as intermediary, he should like to see Guy,
and hear what his account of the transactions was, and that he would ask
my son to come up to town from Maychester and meet him. I heard from Guy
at the end of last week--last Saturday morning, as a matter of
fact--that he had been to town, that he had lunched with Mr. Hollis at
Mr. Hollis's club, and that after discussing the whole affair, Mr.
Hollis said that he would make a determined effort to settle the matter
at once. And after that," concluded Mrs. Lester, "I heard no more or
anything until I read of this Scarnham affair in the newspapers."

"And now that you have read it, ma'am, and have heard what I have to
tell," said Starmidge, "do you connect it in any way with Mr. Guy
Lester's affair?"

Mrs. Lester looked puzzled. She considered the detective's proposition
in silence for a time.

"No!" she answered at last. "Really, I don't!"

Starmidge got up, and Easleby followed his lead.

"Well, ma'am," said Starmidge, "there is a connection, without doubt,
and I think that within a very short time we shall have discovered what
it is. What you have told us has been of great assistance--the very
greatest assistance. And you can make your mind easy for the present--I
don't see any reason for any unpleasant publicity just now--in fact, I
think you'll find there won't be any. The unpleasant publicity, ma'am,"
concluded Starmidge, with an almost imperceptible wink at Easleby, "will
be for--some other people."

The two detectives bowed themselves out, re-entered their car, and were
driven on to Chesham. Neither had touched food since breakfast-time and
each was hungry. They discovered an old-fashioned hotel in the main
street of the little town, and were presently confronting a round of
cold beef, a cold ham, and two foaming tankards, in the snug parlour
which they had to themselves.

"One result of our profession, young Starmidge," observed the
middle-aged Easleby, bending towards his companion over a well-filled
plate, "is that it makes a man indulge in a tremendous lot of what you
might call intellectual speculation!"

"What are you speculating about?" asked Starmidge.

"This--on information received," replied Easleby, as he lifted his
tankard. "There are the names of three Scarnham gentlemen before
me--Gabriel Chestermarke, Joseph Chestermarke, John Horbury. Now,
then--which of the three sports the other name of Godwin Markham?"

CHA