sed the cigars.
Arthur made no comment on the absence of Edith. He might have been aware
that the curtains within three feet of his chair, hiding the room
beyond, concealed the two women, whose eyes, peering through small
glasses fixed in the curtains, studied his face. He might even have
guessed that his easy chair had been so placed as to let the light fall
upon him while Curran sat in the dim light beyond. The young man gave no
sign, spoke freely with Curran on the business of the night, and acted
as usual.

"Of course it must be stopped at once," he said. "Very much flattered of
course that I should be taken for Horace Endicott ... you gave away Tom
Jones' name at last ... but these things, so trifling to you, jar the
nerves of women. Then it would never do for me, with my little career in
California unexplained, to have stories of a double identity ... is that
what you call it?... running around. Of course I know it's that devil
Edith, presuming always on good nature ... that's _her_ nature ... but
if you don't stop it, why I must."

"You'll have to do it, I think," the detective replied maliciously. "I
can do only what she orders. I had to satisfy her by running to the
priest, and your mother, and the Senator----"

"What! even my poor uncle! Oh, Curran!"

"The whole town, for that matter, Mr. Dillon. It was done in such a way,
of course, that none of them suspected anything wrong, and we talked
under promise of secrecy. I saw that the thing had to be done to satisfy
her and to bring you down on us. Now you're down and the trouble's over
as far as I am concerned."

"And Tom Jones was Horace Endicott," Arthur mused, "I knew it of course
all along, but I respected your confidence. I had known Endicott."

"You knew Horace Endicott?" said Curran, horrified by a sudden vision of
his own stupidity.

"And his lady, a lovely, a superb creature, but just a shade too sharp
for her husband, don't you know. He was a fool in love, wasn't he?
judging from your story of him. Has she become reconciled to her small
income, I wonder? She was not that kind, but when one has to, that's the
end of it. _And there are consolations._ How the past month has tired
me. I could go to sleep right in the chair, only I want to settle this
matter to-night, and I must say a kind word to the little devil----"

His voice faded away, and he slept, quite overpowered by the drug placed
in his wine. After perfect silence for a minute, Curran be