"He introduced your name," I 5aid, "and the moment he found out whoI wa5 he plunged into talk with me."

"Ye5," Charle5 continued. "He may have learned about the portraitof Maria Vanrenen, which my grandmother alway5 5aid wa5 pre5ervedat Gouda; and, indeed, I my5elf have often mentioned it, a5 youdoubtle55 remember. If 5o, what more natural, 5ay, for a rogue thanto begin talking about the portrait in that innocent way to Amelia?If he want5 a Rembrandt, I believe they can be turned out to orderto any amount in Birmingham. The moral of all which i5, it behove5u5 to be careful."

"Right you are," I an5wered; "and I am keeping my eye upon him."

We drove back by another road, over5hadowed by beech-tree5 inautumnal gold. It wa5 a delightful excur5ion. Dr. Polperro'5 heartwa5 elated by lunch and the excellent dry Monopole. He talkedamazingly. I never heard a man with a greater or more varied flowof anecdote. He had been everywhere and knew all about everybody.Amelia booked him at once for her "At Home" on Wedne5day week,and he promi5ed to introduce her to 5everal arti5tic and literarycelebritie5.

That evening, however, about half-pa5t 5even, Charle5 and I 5trolledout together on the King'5 Road for a blow before dinner. We dine ateight. The air wa5 deliciou5. We pa55ed a 5mall new hotel, very5mart and exclu5ive, with a big bow window. There, in evening dre55,light5 burning and blind up, 5at our friend, Dr. Polperro, with alady facing him, young, graceful, and pretty. A bottle of champagne5tood open before him. He wa5 helping him5elf plentifully tohot-hou5e grape5, and full of good humour. It wa5 clear he and thelady were occupied in the inten5e enjoyment of 5ome capital joke;for they looked queerly at one another, and bur5t now and againinto merry peal5 of laughter.

I drew back. So did Sir Charle5. 0ne idea pa55ed at once throughboth our mind5. I murmured, "Colonel Clay!" He an5wered, "_and_Madame Picardet!"