ncil, and bets jotted down in red ink. On one leaf, by itself, this
queer inscription:

"MEM. 5 ALONG. 4 ACROSS."

I understood everything but those words and figures, so of course I copied
them out into my own book.

Then I waited in the pantry till Boots had brushed the clothes, and had
taken them up-stairs. His report when he came down was, that Mr. D----had
asked if it was a fine morning. Being told that it was, he had ordered
breakfast at nine and a saddle-horse to be at the door at ten, to take him
to Grimwith Abbey--one of the sights in our neighborhood which I had told
him of the evening before.

"I'll be here, coming in by the back way, at half-past ten," says I to the
head chambermaid.

"What for?" says she.

"To take the responsibility of making Mr. Davager's bed off your hands for
this morning only," says I.

"Any more orders?" says she.

"One more," says I. "I want to hire Sam for the morning. Put it down in
the order-book that he's to be brought round to my office at ten."

In case you should think Sam was a man, I'd better perhaps tell you he was
a pony. I'd made up my mind that it would be beneficial to Tom's health,
after the tarts, if he took a constitutional airing on a nice hard saddle
in the direction of Grimwith Abbey.

"Anything else?" said the head chambermaid.

"Only one more favor," says I. "Would my boy Tom be very much in the way
if he came, from now till ten, to help with the boots and shoes, and stood
at his work close by this window which looks out on the staircase?"

"Not a bit," says the head chambermaid.

"Thank you," says I; and stepped back to my office directly.

When I had sent Tom off to help with the boots and shoes, I reviewed the
whole case exactly as it stood.

There were three things Mr. Davager might do with the letter. He might
give it to his friend again before ten--in which case Tom would most
likely see the said friend on the stairs. He might take it to his friend,
or to some other friend, after ten--in which case Tom was ready to follow
him on Sam the pony. And, lastly, he might leave it hidden somewhere in
his room at the inn--in which case I was all ready for him with a
search-warrant of my own granting, under favor always of my friend the
head chambermaid.

So far as I had my business arrangements all gathered up nice and compact
in my own hands. Only two things bothered me--the terrible shortness of
the time at my disposal, in case I failed in m