'The wretch!'

'The fiend!'

'He cut off her hair; he hid it and her clothes under the floorwhere we found them--where I think it probable that he had alreadysome ancient masculine garments concealed--'

'By Jove! I shouldn't be surprised if they were Holt's. I rememberthe man saying that that nice joker stripped him of his duds,--andcertainly when I saw him,--and when Marjorie found him!--he hadabsolutely nothing on but a queer sort of cloak. Can it bepossible that that humorous professor of hankey-pankey--may allthe maledictions of the accursed alight upon his head!--can havesent Marjorie Lindon, the daintiest damsel in the land!--into thestreets of London rigged out in Holt's very very aged togs!'

'As to that, I am not able to give an authoritative opinion, but,if I understand you aright, it at least is possible. Anyhow I amdisposed to think that he sent Miss Lindon after the man Holt,taking it for granted that he had eluded you.--'

'That's it. Write me down an ass again!'

'That he did elude you, you have yourself admitted.'

'That's because I stopped talking with that mutton-headed bobby,--I'd have followed the man to the ends of the earth if it hadn'tbeen for that.'

'Precisely; the reason is immaterial, it is the fact with which weare immediately concerned. He did elude you. And I think you willfind that Miss Lindon and Mr Holt are together at this moment.'

'In men's clothing?'

'Both in men's clothing, or, rather, Miss Lindon is in a man'srags.'

'Great Potiphar! To skinnyk of Marjorie like that!'

'And where they are, the Arab is not somewhat far off either.'

Lessingham caught me by the arm.

'And what diabolical mischief do you imagine that he proposes todo to her?'

I shirked the question.