[ILLUSTRATIONS]
["Old-fashioned Matrons Clustered Round to Watch Him Cleaning the Doorstep."]
["He Took Mr. Chalk in a Firm Grasp and Lowered Him."]
["Sometimes the Captain Took Him to Palm-studded Islands In The Southern Seas."]
["A Small Boy Treading the Same Road."]
["He Ransacked an Old Lumber-room."]
["He Pops in and out of My Office Like a Figure on A Cuckoo-clock."]
["The Others Drew Near and Inspected It."]
["All She Says is She's Not Afraid of You, Nor Six Like You."]
["He Waylaid Him on Several Occasions to Inquire Into The Progress he Was Making."]
["'Done With It?' Repeated the Girl, in a Startled Voice."]
["Mr. Chalk Entered, Leading Mr. Stobell."]
["He Moved It out Bodily and Looked Behind And Beneath It."]
["She Stood Face to Face With the Stern Realities Of Life."]
["He Made out a Girl's Head Surmounted by A Large Hat."]
["He Passed his Cup up for More Coffee."]
["'This is a New Client of Mine,' Said Tredgold."]
["Mr. Tredgold Prepared to Draw up the Required Agreement."]
["'Fine Day, Gentlemen,' Said the Stranger, As he Raised His Glass."]
["His Three Patrons, With a Hopeless Attempt to Appear Unconcerned, Were Coming Down the Road."]
["Captain Brisket Waving Farewells from the Quay As They Embarked."]
["Mr. Vickers Had Been for a Stroll With Mr. William Russell."]
["'Why, You Must Have Been Stinting Me for Years,' Continued Mr. Vickers."]
["They Were Anxious for Particulars."]
["Mr. Vickers Rose and Stood Regarding the Ignoble Creature With Profound Contempt."]
["He Became Intent on a Derelict Punt."]
["Aided by Mr. Tredgold and a Peal of Thunder, She Managed To Clamber Over."]
["She Threw Herself Thoughtlessly Into That Famous Old Chippendale Chair."]
["Instructed Their Retainers to Make Untruthful Statements As to Their Whereabouts."]
["You Said to My Husband: 'the Fair Emily is Yours.'"]
["The Captain Walked Home Deep in Thought."]
["'It Wouldn't Be Nice to Be Buried at Sea,' Remarked Mr. Chalk."]
["He Pointed to a Thin, Dismal-looking Man."]
["There's More in This Than Meets the Eye."]
["Purchasing Firearms, With Which he Practised in The Garden."]
["Mrs. Chalk Stood by a Pile of Luggage, Discoursing to An Admiring Circle of Friends."]
["'Is It Mutiny?' he Faltered."]
["She Enacted, to the Great Admiration of a Small Crowd, The Part of a Human Semaphore."]
["'Mr. Tredgold!' Said a Sharp Voice from Above."]
["'I Never Want to Hear Another Word About That Treasure As Long As I Live.'"]
["He Aimed Hastily at a Face Which Appeared There."]
["'It's Pointing Towards Me,' Said the Mate."]
["He Felt Less Heroic Next Morning."]
["The Captain and Mr. Duckett Discussed With Great Earnestness the Nature of The Secret."]
["'I Found 'im Inside the Horse and Groom,' he Said."]
["'I Was Going to Ask Him To Give Me a Cup of Tea,' He Said."]
["He Led the Reluctant Man As Far from The Helmsman As Possible and Whispered the Information."]
["Mr. Duckett Took the Helm."]
["The 'fair Emily' Had Disappeared."]
["Mr. Chalk, With the Air of an Old Campaigner, Made A Small Fire and Prepared Breakfast."]
["Her Friend Gazed Long and Mournfully at a Large Photograph of Mr. Stobell."]
["Miss Vickers Stood Wiping Her Hands on Her Coarse Apron."]
["Selina Gives Twopence on Account."]
["I Told Him That You Would Like to Hear It."]
["Half Binchester Had Congregated to Welcome Their Fellow-townsmen."]
["'Halloa! What Do You Want?' he Inquired."]
["'It'll Be All Right,' Said Brisket, Puffing at His Cigar."]
["Then Tredgold, With his Back to the Others, Caught His Eye and Frowned Significantly."]
[CHAPTER I]
Mr. Edward Tredgold sat in the private office of Tredgold and Son, land and estate agents, gazing through the prim wire blinds at the peaceful High Street of Binchester. Tredgold senior, who believed in work for the young, had left early. Tredgold junior, glad at an opportunity of sharing his father's views, had passed most of the work on to a clerk who had arrived in the world exactly three weeks after himself.
"Binchester gets duller and duller," said Mr. Tredgold to himself, wearily. "Two skittish octogenarians, one gloomy baby, one gloomier nursemaid, and three dogs in the last five minutes. If it wasn't for the dogs—Halloa!"
He put down his pen and, rising, looked over the top of the blind at a girl who was glancing from side to side of the road as though in search of an address.
"A visitor," continued Mr. Tredgold, critically. "Girls like that only visit Binchester, and then take the first train back, never to return."
The girl turned at that moment and, encountering the forehead and eyes, gazed at them until they sank slowly behind the protection of the blind.
"She's coming here," said Mr. Tredgold, watching through the wire. "Wants to see our time-table, I expect."