The two men in the course of their slow strolling away from the Adalbert Theatre had come to the end of Shaftesbury Avenue, and had drawn aside from the crowds during the last minute or two to exchange their confidences in private. Starmidge looked meditatively at the thronging multitudes of Piccadilly Circus, and watched them awhile before he answered his companion's last observation. "I don't want to precipitate matters," he said at last. "I don't want an anti-climax. Suppose we found Markham--or Chestermarke--there? Or supposing he came in?" "Excellent!--in either case," replied Easleby. "Serve our purpose equally well. If he's there, you betray the greatest surprise at seeing him--you can act up to that. If he should come in, you're equally surprised--see! We haven't gone there about any Chestermarke, you know--we aren't going to let it out there that we know what we do know--not likely!" "What have we gone there for then?" asked Starmidge. "We've gone to say that Mrs. Helen Lester, of Lowdale Court, near Chesham, has informed us, the police, that she placed a certain sum of money in the hands of her friend, Mr. Frederick Hollis, for the purpose of clearing off a debt contracted by her son, Lieutenant Lester, with Mr. Godwin Markham; that Mr. Hollis had been found dead under strange circumstances at Scarnham, and that we should be vastly obliged to Mr. Markham if he can give us any information or light on the matter, or hints about it," replied Easleby. "That, of course, is what we shall say--and all that we shall say--to Mr. James Stipp. If, however, we find Gabriel Chestermarke there--well, then, we shall say nothing--at first. We shall leave him to do the saying--it'll be his job to begin." "All right," assented Starmidge, after a moment's reflection. "We'll try it! Meet you tomorrow morning, then--corner of Conduit Street and New Bond Street--say at ten-thirty. Now I'm going home." Starmidge, being a bachelor, tenanted a small flat in Westminster, within easy reach of headquarters. He repaired to it immediately on leaving Easleby, intent on spending a couple of hours in ease and comfort before retiring to bed. But he had scarcely put on his slippers, lighted his pipe, mixed a whisky-and-soda, and picked up a book, when a knock at his outer door sent him to open it and to find Gandam standing in the lobby. Gandam glanced at him with a smile which was half apologetic and half triumphant. "I've been to the office after you, Mr. Starmidge," he said. "They gave me your address, so I came on here." Starmidge saw that the man was full of news, and he motioned him to enter and led him to his sitting-room. "You've heard something, then?" he asked. "Seen something, Mr. Starmidge," answered Gandam, taking the chair which Starmidge pointed to. "I'm afraid I didn't hear anything--I wish I had!" Starmidge gave his visitor a drink and dropped into his own easy-chair again. "Chestermarke, of course!" he suggested. "Well--what!"