"Quite simple, my dear sir," answered Keys, "you came in without knocking. What can I do for you?" "Well, sir," the little man went on excitedly, "my name is Bloggs, sir, Joseph Bloggs, and I am the victim of a conspiracy. The Council have sent me in a bill for $96 for three months water rate, and I never used so much in my life. "No, I can quite believe it," said Keys drily, surveying the rather drab appearance of the visible portions of our visitor’s anatomy. "But whom do you suspect?" "Well, sir, I voted against the nincompoops that the effete electors have chosen to represent them, and now they’re soaking me." I could not control my laughter at this unconscious pleasantry, but the little man glared at me, and Keys frowned me into silence. "Whenson, he has given me a clue; get my gum boots and a piece of blotting paper." Accustomed to obey his strange commands without question, we were soon following Mr. Bloggs to his home. Once inside the gate, without hesitation Keys strode across the lawn till he reached a place under which, owing to the unevenness of the ground, it was easy to see the pipe was laid, and stooping down he placed the sheet of blotting paper on the grass, and a second later he held it up saturated with water. "There is a break in the pipe, Mr. Bloggs," he said. "Get it mended." *III.* *THE ADVENTURE OF TWO AND TWO* Keys was giving way to one of those orgies of spring onions and Limburger cheese to which he occasionally succumbed—for even the greatest of men have failings—and the atmosphere of our dining room was very unpleasant to one with my delicate olfactory nerves, so that it was with a feeling of positive relief that I welcomed the pungent odor of the smoke from a strong black cigar that was wafted in on us as the door opened to admit a stranger. A tall, nervous looking man, he commenced to apologize for having interrupted us at supper, but Keys waved aside his explanations and said abruptly. "You are a married man, sir, and very fond of your wife." Wonderingly our visitor pleaded guilty to both indictments, and Keys resumed: "Of course any one could tell that your wife has given you a Christmas present, a man with your intelligence would never buy a cigar like that, and only love for her would induce you to smoke it." "Sir, I can see you are just the man to solve the mystery that is making my life a hideous nightmare, if I am fortunate enough to interest you in my case. "My name is Humphrey Drake, and I am a country squire living in a peaceful village, and up to a week ago I was as placid as one of my own cows, but alas all is changed and I know not what dreadful fate is hanging over my head. I once read a wonderful book called ’_The Sign of the Four_,’ (I am a modest man, so I blushed at this unconscious praise, you, dear reader, will know why), and now I fear that the terrible end of Bartholemew Sholto will be mine."