"Taken by wireless, I presume."

"Exactly!"

"Then, why so much bother, my friend?" Harleston asked. "If you do not
find it, you can get others by the same quick route."

"The King of Abyssinia never duplicates a letter."

"When," supplemented Harleston, "it has been carelessly lost in a cab."

"Just so. Therefore--"

"I repeat that I have not got the articles," said Harleston, a bit
wearily, "nor are they in my apartment. You have been misinformed. I
find I am getting drowsy--this thing is not as absorbing as I had
thought it would be. With your permission I'll drop off to sleep; you're
welcome to continue the search. Make yourselves perfectly at home,
sirs." He lay back and drew up the sheet. "Just pull the door shut when
you depart, please," he said, and closed his eyes.

"You're a queer chap," remarked Sparrow, pausing in his search and
surveying Harleston with a puzzled smile. "One would suppose you're used
to receiving interruptions at such hours for such purposes."

"I try never to be surprised at anything however _outré_," Harleston
explained. "Good-night."

The two men looked at the recumbent figure and then at each other and
laughed.