"Well, buzzing about the place after non-existent burglars." "They weren't non-existent. I tell you I caught this man Twist...." "How do you know it was Twist?" "I've met him." "Who? Twist?" "Yes." "Where?" "He runs a place called Healthward Ho near here." "What's Healthward Ho?" "It's a place where fellows go to get fit. My uncle was there." "And Twist runs it?" "Yes." "And you think this--dash it, this pillar of society was burgling the house?" "I caught him, I tell you." "Who? Twist?" "Yes." "Well, where is he, then?" "I don't know." "Listen, old man," said Ronnie gently. "I think you'd better be pushing along and getting that bulb of yours repaired." He remained gazing after his friend, as he disappeared in the direction of the stable yard, with much concern. He hated to think of good old Hugo getting into a mental state like this, though, of course, it was only what you could expect if a man lived in the country all the time. He was still brooding when he heard footsteps behind him and looked round and saw Mr. Lester Carmody approaching. Mr. Carmody was in a condition which in a slimmer man might have been called fluttering. He, like John, had absented himself from the festivities in the village, wishing to be on the spot when Mr. Twist made his entry into the house. He had seen Chimp get through the dining-room window and had instantly made his way to the front hall, proposing to wait there and see the precious suitcase duly deposited in the cupboard under the stairs. He had waited, but no Chimp had appeared. And then there had come to his ears barkings and shoutings and uproar in the night. Mr. Carmody, like Othello, was perplexed in the extreme. "Ah, Carmody," said Mr. Fish. He waved a kindly cigarette holder at his host. The latter regarded him with tense apprehension. Was his guest about to announce that Mr. Twist, caught in the act, was now under lock and key? For some reason or other, it was plain, Hugo and this unspeakable friend of his had returned at an unexpectedly early hour from the village, and Mr. Carmody feared the worst. "I've got a bit of bad news for you, Carmody," said Mr. Fish. "Brace up, my dear fellow." Mr. Carmody gulped. "What--what--what...." "Poor old Hugo. Gone clean off his mental axis." "What! What do you mean?" "I found him just now running round in circles and dashing his head against trees. He said he was chasing a burglar. Of course there wasn't anything of the sort on the premises. For, mark this, my dear Carmody: according to his statement, which I carefully checked, the burglar was a most respectable fellow named Twist, who runs a sort of health place near here. You know him, I believe?" "Slightly," said Mr. Carmody. "Slightly." "Well, would a man in that position go about burgling houses? Pure delusion, of course." Mr. Carmody breathed a deep sigh. Relief had made him feel a little faint. "Undoubtedly," he said. "Hugo was always weak-minded from a boy."