value forthwith, but he was far too knowing that he should appear to
rush matters.

"Call any day you like, sir," he said. "Glad to see you. But give me
notice. I generally have an appetizer here of a morning about eleven."

"An' you want it, too, Fred," said Hobbs. "Dash me, you're as thin as a
herrin'. Stop whiskey an' drink beer, like me."

"And you might also follow that gentleman's example," interposed Siddle
quietly, nodding towards Mr. Franklin.

"What's that?" snapped Elkin.

"Don't worry about murders."

"That's a nice thing to say. Why should _I_ worry about the d---d
mix-up?"

The chemist made no reply, but Hobbs stepped into the breach valiantly.

"Keep yer 'air on, Fred," he vociferated. "Siddle means no 'arm. But wot
else are yer a-doing of, mornin', noon, an' night?"

Elkin laughed, with his queer croak.

"If you stay here a day or two, you'll soon get to know what they're
driving at, sir," he said to Franklin. "The fact is that this chap,
Grant, who found the body, and in whose garden the murder was committed,
has been making eyes at the girl I'm as good as engaged to. That would