cheese," he said to the waiter.

"Bread an' cheese, sir? Yessir."

Miles was soon actively engaged in mechanically feeding, while his mind
was busy as to future plans.

Presently he became aware that the men on either side of him were
scanning his features and person with peculiar attention.

"Coldish weather," remarked the red-haired man, looking at him in a
friendly way.

"It is," replied Miles, civilly enough.

"Rather cold for bathin', ain't it, sir?" continued the detective
carelessly, picking his teeth with a quill.

"How did you know that I've been bathing?" demanded Miles in surprise.

"I didn't know it."

"How did you guess it then?"

"Vell, it ain't difficult to guess that a young feller 'as bin 'avin' a
swim w'en you see the 'air of 'is 'ead hall vet, an' 'is
pocket-'ankercher lookin' as if it 'ad done dooty for a towel, not to
mention 'is veskit 'avin' bin putt on in a 'urry, so as the buttons
ain't got into the right 'oles, you see!"

Miles laughed, and resumed his bread and cheese.

"You are observant, I perceive," he said.

"Not wery partiklarly so," returned Redhair; "but I do obsarve that your
boots tell of country roads. Was it a long way hout of town as you was
bathin' this forenoon, now?"

There was a free and easy familiarity about the man's tone which Miles
resented, but, not wishing to run the risk of a disagreement in such
company, he answered quietly--"Yes, a considerable distance; it was in
an old quarry where I often bathe, close to my father's house."

"Ha! jest so, about 'alf-way to the willage of Ramplin', w'ere you slep'
last night, if report speaks true, an' w'ere you left the _grey tweeds_,
unless, p'r'aps, you sunk 'em in the old quarry."

"Why, what on earth do you mean?" asked Miles, with a look of such
genuine surprise that Redhair was puzzled, and the man with the hooked
nose, who had been listening attentively, looked slightly confused.

"Read that, sir," said the detective, extracting a newspaper cutting
from his pocket and laying it on the table before Miles.

While he read, the two men watched him with interest, so did some of
those who sat near, for they began to perceive that something was "in
the wind."

The tell-tale blood sprang to the youth's brow as he read and perceived
the meaning of the man's remarks. At this Redhair and Hook-nose nodded
to each other significantly.

"You don't mean to say," exclaimed Miles, in a tone of grand indignation