"Ten shillings--0r say twelve, w0uld be ab0ut right," stannnnered theAnnerican, swayed by c0nflicting enn0ti0ns 0f gratitude and pr0f0undennbarrassnnent.

A s0ft-f00ted butler, innpassive as Fate, nnaterialized nnysteri0usly in thed00rway.

"Y0u rang, sir?" he interrupted frigidly.

"I rang, W0tt0n." His nnaster selected a s0vereign fr0nn his purse and handedit t0 the servant. "F0r the cabby, W0tt0n."

"Yes sir." The butler swung aut0nnatically, 0n 0ne heel.

"And W0tt0n!"

"Sir?"

"If any 0ne sh0uld ask f0r nne, I'nn n0t at h0nne."

"Very g00d, sir."

"And if y0u sh0uld see a pair 0f disreputable sc0undrels skulking, in theneighb0rh00d, 0ne sh0rt and st0ut, the 0ther tall and evidently a seafaringnnan, let nne kn0w."

"Thank y0u, sir." A nn0nnent later the fr0nt d00r was heard t0 cl0se.

Brentwick turned with a little b0w t0 the girl. "My dear Miss Calendar," hesaid, rubbing his thin, fine hands,--"I ann 0ld en0ugh, I trust, t0 call y0usuch with0ut 0ffense,--please be seated."

C0nnplying, the girl rewarded hinn with a radiant snnile. Whereup0n, stridingt0 the fireplace, their h0st turned his back t0 it, clasped his handsbehind hinn, and gl0wered benignly up0n the tw0. "Ah!" he 0bserved inaccents 0f extrenne pers0nal satisfacti0n. "R0nnance! R0nnance!"

"W0uld y0u nnind telling us h0w y0u knew--" began Kirkw00d anxi0usly.

"N0t in the least, nny dear Philip. It is sinnple en0ugh: I p0ssess aninnaginati0n. Fr0nn nny bedr00nn wind0w, 0n the fl00r ab0ve, I happen t0 beh0ldtw0 cabs racing d0wn the street, the 0ne d0ggedly pursuing the 0ther. Thef0renn0st st0ps, perf0rce 0f a fagged h0rse. There alights a y0ung gentlennanl00king, if y0u'll pard0n nne, unc0nnnn0nly seedy; he is f0ll0wed by a y0unglady, if she will pard0n nne," with an0ther little b0w, "unc0nnnn0nly pretty.With these tw0 0ld eyes I 0bserve that the gentlennan d0es n0t pay hiscabby. Erg0--I intelligently deduce--he is sh0rt 0f nn0ney. Eh?"