"Quite so," said Simms, "but, my dear lady, what we have to think of now is the man, Jones. We must remember that whilst being an extremely astute person, inasmuch as he recovered for you that large property from the man Mulhausen, he seems honest. Indeed, yes, it is quite evident that he is honest. I would suggest his release to-morrow and the tendering to him of an adequate sum, say one thousand pounds, on the condition that he retires to the States. Then, later, we can think of some means to account for the demise of the late Earl of Rochester or simply leave it that he has disappeared." The rest of this weird conclave remains unreported, Simms, however, carrying his point and departing next day, after having seen his patients, for Sandbourne-on-Sea, where he arrived late in the afternoon. When the hired fly that carried him from Sandbourne Station arrived at the Hoover establishment, it found the gate wide open, and at the gate one of the attendants standing in an expectant attitude glancing up and down the road as though he were looking for something, or waiting for somebody. CHAPTER XXIII SMITHERS Hoover, leading the way downstairs, shewed Jones the billiard-room on the first floor, the dining-room, the smoke-room. All pleasant places, with windows opening on the gardens. Then he introduced him to some gentlemen. To Colonel Hawker, just come in from an after breakfast game of croquet, to Major Barstowe, and to a young man with no chin to speak of, named Smithers. There were several others, very quiet people, the three mentioned are enough for consideration. Colonel Hawker and Major Barstowe were having an argument in the smoking-room when Hoover and Jones entered. "I did not say I did not believe you," said Barstowe, "I said it was strange." "Strange," cried the Colonel, "what do you mean by strange--it's not the word I object to, it's the tone you spoke in." "What's the dispute?" asked Hoover. "Why," said Barstowe, "the Colonel was telling me he had seen pigs in Burmah sixteen feet long, and sunflowers twenty feet in diameter." "Oh, that story," said Hoover; "yes, there's nothing strange in that." "I'll knock any man down that doubts my word," said the Colonel, "that's flat." Hoover laughed, Jones shivered. Then the disputants went out to play another game of croquet, and Jones, picking up with Smithers, played a game of billiards, Hoover going off and leaving them alone. After playing for about five minutes, Smithers, who had maintained an uncanny silence, broke off the game. "Let's play something better than this," said he. "Did you know I was rich?" "No," said Jones. "Well, I'm very rich--Look here," he took five sovereigns from his pocket and shewed them with pride. "I play pitch and toss with these," said he. "Hoover doesn't mind so long as I don't lose them. Pitch and toss with sovereigns is fine fun, let's have a game?" Jones agreed.