Maitland rallied his wits to the task. "O'Hagan," said he, "this man, Snaith, who was here this afternoon, called himself a detective. As soon as we were alone he rapped me over the head with a loaded cane, and, I suspect, went through the flat stealing everything he could lay hands on.... Hand me my cigarette case, please." "'Tis gone, sor--'tis not on the desk, at laste, pwhere I saw ut last." "Ah! You see?... Now for reasons of my own, which I won't enter into, I don't want the affair to get out and become public. You understand? I want you to keep your mouth shut, until I give you permission to open it." "Very good, sor." The janitor-valet had previous experiences with Maitland's generosity in grateful memory; and shut his lips tightly in promise of virtuous reticence. "You won't regret it.... Now tell me what you mean by saying that you saw me go out at one this afternoon?" Again the flood gates were lifted; from the deluge of explanations and protestations Maitland extracted the general drift of narrative. And in the end held up his hand for silence. "I think I understand, now. You say he had changed to my grey suit?" O'Hagan darted into the bedroom, whence he emerged with confirmation of his statement. "'Tis gone, sor, an'--." "All right. But," with a rueful smile, "I'll take the liberty of countermanding Mr. Snaith's order. If he should call again, O'Hagan, I very much want to see him." "Faith, and 'tis mesilf will have a worrud or two to whispher in the ear av him, sor," announced O'Hagan grimly. "I'm afraid the opportunity will be lacking: ... You may fix me a hot bath now, O'Hagan, and put out my evening clothes. I'll dine at the club to-night and may not be back." And, rising, Maitland approached a mirror; before which he lingered for several minutes, cataloguing his injuries. Taken altogether, they amounted to little. The swelling of his wrists and ankles was subsiding gradually; there was a slight redness visible in the corners of his mouth, and a shadow of discoloration on his right temple--something that could be concealed by brushing his hair in a new way. "I think I shall do," concluded Maitland; "there's nothing to excite particular comment. The bulk of the soreness is inside." * * * * * Seven P. M. "Time," said the short and thick-set man casually, addressing no one in particular. He shut the lid of his watch with a snap and returned the timepiece to his waistcoat pocket. Simultaneously he surveyed both sides of the short block between Seventh and St. Nicholas Avenues with one comprehensive glance.