I'm a plain clothes man, meddem," he added to Miss Ford.

"I'm afraid I'm intruding on your tea-party, owing to your maid misunderstanding my business.

But being 'ere, I 'ope you'll excuse me stating what I've come for." "Oh certainly, certainly," said Miss Ford, who was staring vaguely into the fireplace.

A rather fascinating thread of lilac smoke was spinning itself out of the ashes of the little white paper packet.
"The names of the Mayor of the Brown Borough, Miss Meter Mostyn Ford, and Lady A.'Iggins--all of 'oom I understand from the maid are present--'ave been mentioned as being presoomably willing to give information likely to be 'elpful in the search for a suspicious cherecter 'oo is believed to 'ave intruded on a cheritable meeting, at which you were present last Seturday, in order to escape arrest, 'aving just perpetrated a petty theft from a baker, 'Ermann Schwab.

The cherecter is charged now with a more important offence, being in possession of an armed flying machine, in defiance of the Defence of the Realm Act, and interfering with the work of 'Is Majesty's Forces during enemy attack.