he turned the key in it; crossing to the door by which the
detectives had been shown in, he locked that also; proceeding to a
cupboard in an adjacent recess, he performed an unlocking process--after
which he produced a decanter, a syphon, three glasses, and a box of
cigars. He silently placed these luxuries on a desk before his visitors,
and hospitably invited their attention.

"Yes!" he said presently, proceeding to help the two men to refreshment,
and pressing the cigars upon them, "I've good reason to say that,
gentlemen! Godwin Markham, indeed! I ought to know him! If I don't look
out, that devil of a bloodsucker is going to ruin me--he is, so!"

Easleby gave Starmidge an almost imperceptible wink as he lighted a
cigar. It was evident that Mr. Leopold Castlemayne was not only willing
to talk, but was uncommonly glad to have somebody to talk to. Indeed,
his moody countenance began to clear as his tongue became unloosed; he
was obviously at that stage when a man is thankful to give confidences
to any fellow-creature.

"I've done business with gentlemen of your profession before," he went
on, nodding to his visitors over the rim of his tumbler, "and I know
you're to be trusted--naturally, you hear a good many queer things and
queer secrets in your line of life. And as you come to me in confidence,
I'll tell you a thing or two in confidence. It may help you--if you're
certain that the man you're wanting is the man who came here last night.
Do you want him?"

"We--may do," replied Easleby. "We don't know yet. Mr. Starmidge here is
much disposed to think that we shall. But let's be clear, sir. We're all
three agreed that we're talking about the same man? Starmidge has
accurately described a certain man who without doubt entered your
stage-door about eleven-thirty last night----"

"And left, with me, by the box-office door, in the front street, a few
minutes later," murmured the lessee. "That's how it was."

"Just so," agreed Easleby. "Now, Starmidge up to now has only known that
man as Mr. Gabriel Chestermarke, senior partner in Chestermarke's Bank,
at Scarnham, while you, up to now----"

"Have only known him as Godwin Markham, money-lender, financial agent,
and so on, of Conduit Street," interrupted Castlemayne. "And known him a
lot too much for my peace, I can tell you! Of course, we're talking of
the same man! I can quite believe he runs a double show. I know that
he's a great deal away from town. It's very rare