presence of a pink-aproned waitress, Albert Shawn entered, and kissed
the pink-aproned waitress. So far as possible, whom Albert Shawn kissed
he married, and he had married the waitress just the week before
Christmas, and this was she. Simon had objected sternly to the
_mésalliance_. It seemed shocking to Simon that a rising detective
should marry a girl who waited on shop-girls. Hence the drama. Hugo had
positively refused to allow an open quarrel between the brothers,
because of its inconvenience to himself, but he could not prevent a
quarrel between Simon and Lily--such was her name. They met now for the
first time since the marriage, and Lily's demeanour may be imagined. She
gazed through Simon as though he did not exist, and passed magnificently
onwards as soon as the throng permitted. She was Mrs. Albert Shawn, as
neat as ninepence, as smart and pert as a French maid out for the day.
She drove in hansoms, and she had a five-pound note in her pocket.

Albert had been granted two weeks' vacation for his honeymoon, and he
ought to have resumed his duties of detection that morning. The
honeymoon, however, had lasted only nine days, and the remaining five
days of the period had been spent by him in some secret affair of his
own, an affair which had ended in an accident to his left foot, so that
he could not walk. The consequence was that, on this day of all days,
Hugo's was deprived of his services. Lily was, perhaps, not altogether
sorry for the catastrophe which kept him a prisoner in the nest-like
home in Radipole Road, for it had resulted in this excursion of hers to
the sale. Albert had bidden her to go to buy a stole and other things,
to keep her eyes open, and to report to Hugo in person if she observed
anything queer. He had even given her a pass which would ensure her
immediate admittance to any of Hugo's private lairs. Therefore, Lily
felt extremely important, extremely like a detective's wife. She knew
that Albert trusted her, and she was very proud that she had not asked