"How could we have, Roy? We never have had any. Shall you mind going down to the shops for a bottle?" "You really think that we ought?" "Of course we must, Roy. We don't know what mightn't happen if we didn't. Uncle Louis said that they once failed to stop a jewel robbery because the jeweller neglected to wipe his shoes on the shop doormat, as Mr Carrados had told him to do. Suppose Johns is a desperate anarchist and he succeeded in blowing up Buckingham Palace because we----" "All right. A small bottle, eh?" "No. A large one. Quite a large one. Don't you see how exciting it is becoming?" "If you are excited already you don't need much champagne," argued her husband. Nevertheless he strolled down to the leading wine-shop after lunch and returned with his purchase modestly draped in the light summer overcoat that he carried on his arm. Elsie Bellmark, who had quite abandoned her previous unconcern, in the conviction that "something was going to happen," spent the longest afternoon that she could remember, and even Bellmark, in spite of his continual adjurations to her to "look at the matter logically," smoked five cigarettes in place of his usual Saturday afternoon pipe and neglected to do any gardening. At exactly six-forty-five a motor car was heard approaching. Elsie made a desperate rally to become the self-possessed hostess again. Bellmark was favourably impressed by such marked punctuality. Then a Regent Street delivery van bowled past their window and Elsie almost wept. The suspense was not long, however. Less than five minutes later another vehicle raised the dust of the quiet suburban road, and this time a private car stopped at their gate. "Can you see any policemen inside?" whispered Elsie. Parkinson got down and opening the door took out a small tree which he carried up to the porch and there deposited. Carrados followed. "At all events there isn't much wrong," said Bellmark. "He's smiling all the time." "No, it isn't really a smile," explained Elsie; "it's his normal expression." She went out into the hall just as the front door was opened. "It is the 'Scarlet-fruited thorn' of North America," Bellmark heard the visitor remarking. "Both the flowers and the berries are wonderfully good. Do you think that you would permit me to choose the spot for it, Mrs Bellmark?" Bellmark joined them in the hall and was introduced. "We mustn't waste any time," he suggested. "There is very little light left." "True," agreed Carrados. "And Coccinea requires deep digging." They walked through the house, and turning to the right passed into the region of the vegetable garden. Carrados and Elsie led the way, the blind man carrying the tree, while Bellmark went to his outhouse for the required tools. "We will direct our operations from here," said Carrados, when they were half-way along the walk. "You told me of a thin iron pipe that you had traced to somewhere in the middle of the garden. We must locate the end of it exactly."