She took him up to the spare bedroom which they had used on very rare occasions for the accommodation of the few visitors who had been their guests. The room was neat and clean, and George Wallis nodded approvingly. “I should like nothing better than this for myself,” he said. He himself suggested a higher price than she asked, and insisted upon paying a month in advance. “I have told the man to call, he ought to be here by now; if you do not mind, I will wait for him.” It was not a long wait, for in a few minutes there arrived the new lodger. He was a burly man with a heavy black beard, clipped short, and the fact that he was somewhat taciturn and short of speech rather enhanced his value as a lodger than otherwise. Wallis took farewell of the old man and his grand-daughter, and accompanied by the man, whose name was given somewhat unpromisingly as Smith, he walked to the end of the street. He had something to say, and that something was important. “I have got you this place, Smithy,” he said, as they walked slowly towards Hoxton High Street, “because it is quiet and fairly safe. The people are respected, and nobody will bother you.” “They are not likely to worry me in any way, are they?” said the man addressed as Smith. “Not at present,” replied the other, “but I do not know exactly how things are going to develop. I am worried.” “What are you worried about?” George Wallis laughed a little helplessly. “Why do you ask such stupid questions?” he said with good-natured irritation. “Don’t you realise what has happened? Somebody knows our game.” “Well, why not drop it?” asked the other quietly. “How can we drop it? My dear good chap, though in twelve months we have accumulated a store of movable property sufficiently valuable to enable us all to retire upon, there is not one of us who is willing at this moment to cut out--it would take us twelve months to get rid of the loot,” he said thoughtfully. “I do not exactly know where it is,” said Smith with a little smile. “Nobody knows that but me,” replied Wallis with a little frown, “that is the worrying part of it. I feel the whole responsibility upon me. Smithy, we are being really watched.” The other smiled. “That isn’t unusual,” he said. But Wallis was very serious. “Whom do you suspect?” he asked. The other did not answer for a moment. “I do not suspect, I know,” he said. “A few months ago, when Calli and I were doing a job in Hatton Garden we were interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious gentleman, who watched me open the safe and disappeared immediately afterwards. At that time he did not seem to be particularly hostile or have any ulterior motive in view. Now, for some reason which is best known to himself, he is working against us. That is the man we have got to find.” “But how?” “Put an advertisement in the paper,” said the other sarcastically: “Will the gentleman who dogs Mr. Wallis kindly reveal his identity, and no further action will be taken.”