"Your father-in-law has been anchored in Gibraltar Bay for the last fortnight. He has had information of your movements, my friend--good information, and I have not been able to determine the source of it. I made it my business to get introduced to him at the house of mutual friends. A humble client of mine, a ship's chandler, acquainted me with the fact that _The Morning Star's_ anchor and steam were being raised, and with the name of her port of destination. A couple of good boatmen and a little tact did the rest. I told Mr. Van Arlen that I had an urgent business necessity to visit these possessions of the King of Spain. Result--a warm invitation to anticipate the mail boat by a day." "Excellent!" commended Landon. "And the business necessity? You have brought the means of relieving it?" Mr. Miller dilated his nostrils. Perhaps the reek of the fort ditch reached him. Very carefully and methodically he lit a cigarette. "Yes--and no," he answered at last, and with deliberation. "I have money with me, my dear Lord Landon. But my employers give me no commission to apply it to--charity." Landon's eyes grew suddenly ominous. "The price of that book was to be five hundred pounds," he said. "I have received one hundred so far." Miller made a gesture of assent. "You obtained for me a certain book. Subsequent investigations proved it to be a mere dummy--a book made, in fact, to be stolen. You remain in my debt to the extent of that score of five-pound notes which I gave you." Landon laughed a dry little laugh. "Then I concede that I shall remain in your debt--permanently. The bungling is yours, not mine. I demand the balance of my fee. For suppose, my dear Miller, that I gave your game in Gibraltar away?" "Suppose you did," said Miller, placidly. "It would be a question of your word against mine, would it not?" There was nothing sneering in his tone, but its bald self-assurance seemed to whip Landon's temper into fury. He swore wickedly. Miller watched him as the weasel might be expected to watch the trapped rat. And the dark, unpleasant little room had, indeed, many of the attributes of a cage. And then there was an energetic gesture from the gray-clad arm. "You bungled the matter--not in stealing the wrong book," said Miller, "but in the manner of your escape. It was then that you lost your value to my employers. You are liable to be arrested in any of the British dominions. Till that matter is settled, you are a weapon without an edge, for us. That error must be repaired." Landon stared up at him curiously. "How?" he asked. Miller made a significant gesture towards the child. There was no intention of menace in it, but the child shrank back, turning, not towards his father, but with a sudden instinctive outstretching of his hand to Muhammed. The Moor grasped the little fingers silently and smiled--a smile which faded as he turned his keen, watchful eyes again upon the visitor.