"Look ye here," said the workman oracularly, and he worked one hand about as he spoke. "I don't purfess to know no more than what's my trade, which is locks and odd jobs o' that sort. My pardner here'll tell you, gents, that I'll face anything from a tup'ny padlock up to a strong room or a patent safe; but I've got a thought here as may be a bright 'un, or only a bit of a man's nat'ral fog. You want to find this gent, don't you?" "Yes," said Guest; and the tone of that "yes" suggested plainly enough, "no." "What have you got in that wooden head of yours now, Jem?" growled the sergeant. "Wait a minute, my lad, and you'll hear." "There's no occasion for us to stop here," said Guest hurriedly. "On'y a minute, sir, and then I'll screw down the lid. What I wanted to say, gents, is: haven't we found the party, after all?" "What!" cried Guest. "Where?" "Here, sir. I don't understand sperrits--beer's my line; but what I say is: mayn't the gent be in there, after all, in slooshun--melted away in the sperrits, like a lump o' sugar in a man's tea?" "No, he mayn't," said the sergeant, closing the lid with a bang. "Don't you take no notice of him, gentlemen; he's handled screws till he's a reg'lar screw himself." "But what I say is--" "Hold your row, and don't make a fool of yourself, mate. Get your work done, and then go home and try experiments with a pint o' paraffin and a rat." The man uttered a growl, and attacked the bath lid angrily, screwing it down as the light was held for him, and then going with the others into the sitting room, where he soon restored the old door to its former state, there being no sign, when he had finished, of its having been touched. Then, after a glance round, with Brettison's portrait still seeming to watch them intently, the outer door was closed, and the little party returned to Stratton's chambers, where certain coins were passed from hand to hand, evidently to the great satisfaction of the two men, for Jem began to chuckle and shake his head. "Well," said the sergeant; "what now?" "I was thinking, pardner, about baths." "Yes, yes," said Guest hurriedly; "but that will do." "Yes, sir, I'm going; but there's your gents as goes and breaks the ice in the Serpentine, and them as goes to be cooked in a hoven, and shampooed; and you pull your strings and has it in showers, and your hot waters and cold waters; but this gent seems to have liked his stronger than anyone I ever knowed afore. I say, pardner, that's having your lotion, and no sham." "Pooh!" said the sergeant. "Look here," said Guest quickly, and he slipped another sovereign into the sergeant's hand, "this has all been a foolish mistake. I was too hasty." "Only did your duty, sir," replied the man. "It was quite right, and I'm glad, for all concerned, that it was a mistake." "You understand, then; we don't want it to be talked about in the inn, or--or--anywhere, in fact."