contritely, as Cleek came in, looking like a college-bred athlete in his
boating-flannels and his brim-tilted panama. "But the fact is you are a
little later than I anticipated; and I was simply famishing."

"Share the blame of my lateness with me, Mr. Narkom," said Cleek as he
tossed aside his hat and threw the fag-end of his cigarette through the
open window. "You merely said 'tea-time,' not any particular hour; and I
improved the opportunity to take another spin up the river and to talk
like a Dutch uncle to a certain young man whom I shall introduce to your
notice in due time. It isn't often that duty calls me to a little Eden
like this. The air is like balm to-day; and the river--oh, the river is
a sheer delight."

Narkom rang for a fresh pot of tea and a further supply of buttered
toast, and, when these were served, Cleek sat down and joined him.

"I dare say," said the superintendent, opening fire at once, "that you
wonder what in the world induced me to bring you out here to meet me, my
dear fellow, instead of following the usual course and calling at
Clarges Street? Well, the fact is, Cleek, that the gentleman with whom I
am now about to put you in touch lives in this vicinity, and is so
placed that he cannot get away without running the risk of having the
step he is taking discovered."

"Humph! He is closely spied upon, then?" commented Cleek. "The trouble
arises from someone or something in his own household?"

"No--in his father's. The 'trouble,' so far as I can gather, seems to
emanate from his stepmother, a young and very beautiful woman, who was
born on the island of Java, where the father of our client met and