you that if there was nothing to make you doubt it?"

"There is nothing to make me doubt it. See here, Hilliard, I don't
for the life of me know what you're getting at. For the Lord's sake
explain yourself."

"Ah," Hilliard returned with a smile, "you see you weren't brought
up in the Customs. Do you know, Merriman, that the thing of all
others we're keenest on is an import trade that doesn't pay?" He
paused a moment, then added slowly: "Because if a trade which doesn't
pay is continued, there must be something else to make it pay. Just
think, Merriman. What would make a trade from France to this
country pay?"

Merriman gasped.

"By Jove, Hilliard! You mean smuggling?"

Hilliard laughed delightedly.

"Of course I mean smuggling, what else?"

He waited for the idea to sink into his companion's brain, and then
went on:

"And now another thing. Bordeaux, as no one knows better than
yourself, is just the center of the brandy district. You see what
I'm getting at. My department would naturally be interested in a
mysterious trade from the Bordeaux district. You accidentally
find one. See? Now what do you think of it?"