friend a most important clue, and a long start in the
search for the missing man.

Impatiently he awaited the early nightfall of the morrow. Business had
to be attended to as usual; but he went about with a bearing of
extraordinary animation, now laughing to himself, now snapping his
fingers, now (when he chanced to be out of people's sight) twirling
round on one leg. Either of yesterday's events would have sufficed to
exhilarate him; together they whipped his blood and frothed his fancy.
He had found Clover, who was a lord! He had won the love of Polly
Sparkes, who was the finest girl living! Did ever the bagman of an oil
and colour firm speed about his duties with such springs of excitement
bubbling within him?

And Mrs. Clover? Ought she not to be told at once? Had he any right to
keep to himself such a discovery as this? He knew, by police court
precedent, that a false name in marriage did not invalidate the
contract. Beyond shadow of doubt Mrs. Clover was Lady Polperro. And
Minnie--why, suppose Minnie had favoured his suit, he would have been
son-in-law of a peer! As it was, whom might not the girl marry! She
would pass from the neighbourhood of Battersea Park Road to a house in
Mayfair or Belgravia; from Doulton's and the china shop to unimaginable
heights of social dignity. And who more fit for the new sphere? Mr.
Gammon sighed, but in a moment remembered Polly and snapped his fingers.

A little before five o'clock he was hovering within sight of the coffee
tavern, which already threw radiance into the murky and muddy street.
In a minute or two he saw Polly and exchanged a quick word with her.

"Up you go! You'll find all ready. If he comes I shall see him, and
I'll look in when you've had a little talk."

Polly disappeared, and Mr. Gammon again hovered. But who was this
approaching? Of all unwelcome people at this moment, hanged if it
wasn't Greenacre! What did the fellow want here? He was staring about
him as if to make sure of an address. Worse than that, he stepped up to
the private door of the coffee-tavern and rang the bell.

Shrinking aside into darkness, Gammon felt a shiver of unaccountable
apprehension, which was quickly followed by a thrill of angry
annoyance. What did this mean? The door had opened, Greenacre was
admitted. What the devil did this mean? If it wasn't enough to make a
fellow want to wring another fellow's neck!

He waited thirty seconds, thinking it was five minutes, then went to