"Mr. Eccles was going to tell us about it when you entered the
room. I think, Watson, a brandy and soda would do him no harm.
Now, sir, I suggest that you take no notice of this addition to
your audience, and that you proceed with your narrative exactly
as you would have done had you never been interrupted."

Our visitor had gulped off the brandy and the colour had returned
to his face. With a dubious glance at the inspector's notebook,
he plunged at once into his extraordinary statement.

"I am a bachelor," said he, "and being of a sociable turn I
cultivate a large number of friends. Among these are the family
of a retired brewer called Melville, living at Abermarle Mansion,
Kensington. It was at his table that I met some weeks ago a
young fellow named Garcia. He was, I understood, of Spanish
descent and connected in some way with the embassy. He spoke
perfect English, was pleasing in his manners, and as good-looking
a man as ever I saw in my life.

"In some way we struck up quite a friendship, this young fellow
and I. He seemed to take a fancy to me from the first, and
within two days of our meeting he came to see me at Lee. One
thing led to another, and it ended in his inviting me out to
spend a few days at his house, Wisteria Lodge, between Esher and
Oxshott. Yesterday evening I went to Esher to fulfil this
engagement.

"He had described his household to me before I went there. He
lived with a faithful servant, a countryman of his own, who
looked after all his needs. This fellow could speak English and