from one to the other with a pleasant smile, "but in a case like this,
I feel it my duty to throw all social scruples aside. We both became
very drunk."

"Ah! Whyte was, as we know, drunk when he got into the cab--and you--?"

"I was not quite so bad as Whyte," answered the other. "I had my senses
about me. I fancy he left the hotel some minutes before one o'clock on
Friday morning."

"And what did you do?"

"I remained in the hotel. He left his overcoat behind him, and I
picked it up and followed him shortly afterwards, to return it. I was
too drunk to see in which direction he had gone, and stood leaning
against the hotel door in Bourke Street with the coat in my hand. Then
some one came up, and, snatching the coat from me, made off with it,
and the last thing I remember was shouting out: 'Stop, thief!' Then I
must have fallen down, for next morning I was in bed with all my
clothes on, and they were very muddy. I got up and left town for the
country by the six-thirty train, so I knew nothing about the matter
until I came back to Melbourne tonight. That's all I know."

"And you had no impression that Whyte was watched that night?"

"No, I had not," answered Moreland, frankly. "He was in pretty good
spirits, though he was put out at first."

"What was the cause of his being put out?"