ey on Dillon's body? The boy
that ran away must have had some marks.... Judy Haskell would know ...
are they on Endicott's body?"

"You've got the map of the business in that pretty head perfect," said
Curran in mock admiration. "But don't you see, my pet, that if this man
is as clever as you would have him he has already seen to these things?
He has removed the birthmarks and peculiarities of Horace, and adopted
those of Arthur? You'll find it a tangled business the deeper you dive
into it."

"Well, it's your business to dive deeper than the tangle," she answered
crossly. "If I had your practice----"

"You would leave me miles behind, of course. Here's the way I would
reason about this thing: Horace Endicott is now known as Arthur Dillon;
he has left no track by which Endicott can be traced to his present
locality; but there must be a very poor connection between the Dillon at
home and the real Dillon in California, in Australia, or in his grave;
if we can trace the real Arthur Dillon then we take away the foundations
of his counterfeit. Do you see? I say a trip to California and a clean
examination there, after we have done our best here to pick flaws in the
position of the gentleman who has been so cruel to my pet. He must get
his punishment for that, I swear."

"Ah, there's the rub," she whimpered in her childish way. "I hate him,
and I love him. He's the finest fellow in the world. He has the strength
of ten. See how he fought the battles of the Irish against his own. One
minute I could tear him like a wolf, and now I could let him tear me to
pieces. You are fond of him too, Dick."

"I would follow him to the end of the world, through fire and flood and
fighting," said the detective with feeling. "He loves Ireland, he loves
and pities our poor people, he is spending his money for them. But I
could kill him just the same for his cruelty to you. He's a hard man,
Colette."

"Now I know what you are trying to do," she said sharply. "You think you
can frighten me by telling me what I know already. Well, you can't."

"No, no," he protested, "I was thinking of another thing. We'll come to
the danger part later. There is one test of this man that ought to be
tried before all others. When I have sounded the people about Arthur
Dillon, and am ready for California, Sonia Endicott should be brought
here to have a good look at him in secret first; and then, perhaps, in
the open, if you thought well of it."

"Why shoul