He turned away abruptly, took a turn up and down the only free space the
room contained, and returned.

"Perhaps you will kindly inform me, sir--since you have been good
enough to take this philanthropic business on yourself--or rather to
shovel it on to me"--each sarcastic word was flung like a javelin at
the doctor--"whether you know anything whatever of this youth you are
thrusting upon me? I don't imagine that he has dropped from the skies! If
you don't know, and haven't troubled yourself to find out, I shall set
the police on at once, track his friends, and hand him over!"

Undershaw was at once all civility and alacrity.

"I have already made some inquiries at Keswick, Mr. Melrose, where I was
this morning. He was staying, it appears, with some friends at the
Victoria Hotel--a Mr. and Mrs. Ransom, Americans. The hotel people
thought that he had been to meet them at Liverpool, had taken them
through the Lakes, and had then seen them off for the south. He himself
was on his way to Scotland to fish. He had sent his luggage to Pengarth
by rail, and chose to bicycle, himself, through the Vale of St. John,
because the weather was so fine. He intended to catch a night train on
the main line."

"Just as I supposed! Idle scapegrace!--with nothing in the world to do
but to get himself and other people into trouble!"

"You saw the card that I left for you on the hall table? But there is
something else that we found upon him in undressing him which I should
greatly prefer, if I might, to hand over to your care. You, I have no
doubt, understand such things. They seem to be valuable, and neither