something was in the wind, so when he put
a pal on his cab, I followed suit. We both came by the express, and I
took good care Dick should not spot me. When we arrived, he calls a cab,
as bold as brass, and sings out, 'Grosvenor Hotel.' I didn't follow him
there, but went to Moloney's house. That was Moloney's cab we were in,
for Jim and myself are old friends. Yer see, him and me was courting the
same----"

"Never mind that, Terence. Go on. What did you do next?"

"I just kept my eyes on them, and several times see them together, and
the day afore yesterday I see them going to the wharf, and Wyck goes
aboard one of the Queensland boats. Dick stayed till the boat left,
waved his hat like mad, and then went off to a pub and got awfully
tight. Next day he went back home by the train, and I would have gone
too, only Jim got me to stop for his baby's christening, as I was to be
godfather. I did stop yer honours, and we did christen that baby, both
inside and out. Jim and meself went on the spree, and a right good time
we had, so help me----"

"Never mind that, Terence. Has Dick had any more soft lines since?"

"No more that I know of, your honour."

"Did he not have one to St. Kilda?"

"Och, moi! I knew it: by jabers I did. Directly I heard it, I knew it,"
shrieked Terence, excitedly, and he lay back, and went off into one of
his laughing fits. He rolled in his seat, and swayed to and fro, fairly
roaring with laughter. Hal and Reg looked on in quiet amusement, and
when Terence had subsided somewhat, Hal said, sternly:

"Terence O'Flynn, when you have finished your laugh, you will, perhaps,
let us into the joke."

"Beg pardon, your honours," jerked out Terence. "But it was a joke. Poor
old Dick," and off he started again.

"Go on, Terence, have another try," said Reg.

"No, no, but you know the joke. I know you did it, and ye did it well,
too."

"If you will tell us what it was, we shall be able to judge," said Hal,
quietly, which sobered Terence.

"I'll tell you, then. It was a couple of days after you'd left for
Tasmania, when Dick comes up to me and Joe Gardiner--that's another
cabby. He comes up smiling, in fact regular grinning, and flashes a
letter in front of us. 'See here, chaps,' says he, 'this is the sort of
game that pays. Darn your shilling fares, says I; this is my style.' The
letter was from some toff, 'cause it come from Menzie's Hotel. It asked
Dick to meet him at St. Kilda. 'See what it is to