Suddenly a brilliant idea came to me.

"Did you know that Miss Annesley, the girl you saw on shipboard, is
in Washington and was at the embassy last night?"

"No! You don't say!" He was too clever for me. "When I get through
with this exploit, Nancy'll have to introduce me. Did you see her?"

"Yes, and talked to her. You see what you missed by not going last
night."

"Yes, I missed a good night's rest and a cold bath in the morning."

"Where shall I say you were last night?" I asked presently.

Mister James scratched his chin disconcertedly. "I hadn't thought of
that. Say that I met some of the boys and got mixed up in a little
game of poker."

"You left your hat on the rack and your cane in the stand. You are
supposed to have left the house without any hat."

"Hat!" He jumped up from the cot on which he had been sitting and
picked up the groom's tile. "Didn't you bring me a hat?"--dismayed.

"You said nothing about it,"--and I roared with laughter.

"How shall I get out of here? I can't wear this thing through the
streets."