d rejected the idea of suspicion,
but his nerves accepted it with trembling. He knew perfectly well that
he could not endure the certainty of Phil Bommaney's knowledge, but
none the less he found the uncertainty tantalising and painful. This is
perhaps one of the hardest things an undetected criminal has to endure,
that he lives in a world of suspicion of his own making, where every
imagination is real and as dreadful as the fact. In his own mind young
Barter credited himself with courage when he made overtures for Philip's
companionship. In reality he made the overtures because he was a coward,
and a braver scoundrel would have disdained them.

Philip felt himself impelled to watch this young man, and was not
altogether displeased that he found the opportunity thrust upon him.
Almost facing the gateway of the old Inn there is an old-fashioned
restaurant, deserted from its hour of opening until noon, and from then
crowded inconveniently till two o'clock, deserted again till five, and
once more inconveniently crowded till seven. Philip, having the power to
choose his own time for meals, and frequenting this old house, sometimes
met Barter in the act of coming away from it with the dregs of the
stream of the late lunchers or diners. He fell into the habit of going
a little earlier, and Barter would signal him to the table at which he
sat, if by rare chance there happened to be a vacant seat at it. The
young rascal's tendency lay towards monologue, and since it was his cue
to be open-hearted, and very unsuspicious of being suspected, he
talked with much freedom of himself, his pursuits, and his affairs. The
question which Barter's nerves were always finding in Philip's eyes was,
as a matter of fact, not often absent from his mind. 'Now, how did you
steal those notes?' was the one active query of his intelligence as he
listened to Barter's candid prattle.

It was in the course of these confidences that Philip learned of the
existence of that Pigeon Trap of which Mr. Barter was so proud to be an
inhabitant. It was at Barter's solicitation that he visited the place,
and it was Barter who proposed him as a member.

Being a member it was not long before he discovered the fact of
Steinberg's influence over the young solicitor. He noticed a terrified
deference in Barter's manner towards the other, a frightened alacrity of
obedience to his suggestions. He noticed also that Steinberg and Barter
played a good deal by themselves, a