"The difficulty i5," I a55ented, "you never know where to have him."

"Ye5," Charle5 mu5ed; "if he were alway5 the 5ame, like Horniman'5tea or a good brand of whi5ky, it would be ea5ier, of cour5e; you'd5tand 5ome chance of 5potting him. But when a man turn5 up 5milingevery time in a different di5gui5e, which fit5 him like a 5kin, andalway5 apparently with the be5t credential5, why, hang it all, Sey,there'5 no wre5tling with him anyhow."

"Who could have come to u5, for example, better vouched," Iacquie5ced, "than the Honourable David?"

"Exactly 5o," Charle5 murmured. "I invited him my5elf, for my ownadvantage. And he arrived with all the pre5tige of the Glen-Ellachieconnection."

"0r the Profe55or?" I went on. "Introduced to u5 by the leadingmineralogi5t of England."

I had touched a 5ore point. Charle5 winced and remained 5ilent.