w friends and make raids across the border into England, to the huge discomfort of the dwellers on the other side. It was to cope with this habit that Dreever Castle, in the county of Shropshir

nicety by one John, the Chaplain (evidently one of those sporting parsons), this warrior retired, done to a turn, to his mountain fastnesses, and was never heard of again. He would seem, however, to have passed the

ey were the only link with the past. The castle was now a very comfortable country-house, nominally ruled over by Hildebrand Spencer Poynt de Burgh John Hannasyde Coombe-Crombie, twelfth Ea

d had invariably sprung at it with the vim of an energetic blood-hound. The South Sea Bubble absorbed two hundred thousand pounds of good Dreever money, and the remainder of the family fortune was squandered to the ultimate penny by the sportive gentleman who

from his mind every thought except that of making money, he had risen in the world with a gruesome persistence which nothing could check. At the age of fifty-one, he was chairman of Blunt's Stores, L't'd, a member of Parliament (silent as a wax figure, but a great comfort to the party by virtue of liberal contributions to its funds), and a knight. This was good, but he aimed still higher; and, meeting Spennie's aunt, Lady Julia Coo

f the window, from which the view was very beautiful. The castle stood on a hill, the lower portion of which, between the house and the l

fe's eye; and just at the moment he was rather anxious to avoid his wife's eye. A somewhat stormy board-meeting was in progress, and Lady Julia, who constituted the bo

e said to the window, "I

ed Lady Julia; "a

ersing, resembled a Maxim g

diamonds

ake care

we have the trou

no tro

arried, there w

as. Detectives at weddin

ut

ah

diamonds," said Sir Thomas, obstinately. Switch

ests of being criminals?" inquired Lady

ave found nothing to cavil at in the movements of such of the house-party as we

o," he

Absurd-qui

have engaged a number

lent recomm

thout bumping into a gentlemanly detective, efficiently disguised. For the life of him, Sir Thomas could not see why the same principle should not obtain at Dreever. Guests at a country house do not as a rule steal their host's possessions, but then it is only an occasional customer at a store who goes in for shop-lifting. It was the principle of the thing, he thought: Be prepared against every emergency. With Sir Thomas Blunt, suspiciousness was almost a mania.

ump to the conclusion that this man whom Spennie is bri

nnie bringi

ghly. Spennie regarded his uncle with nervous apprehension, as one who would deal with his short-comings with vigor and

rom him just now,"

s his

just says he's a m

'm

'H'm!' mean?" de

ge people in London," sa

nse

you say,

Julia

out the detective, it is of

so, m

tn't thi

you say,

ia left

r Thomas Blunt's rise in the world. It certainly suggests sin

lia than he went to his writing-table, took

's Detective Agency. H

est men. Am making arrangements to receive him. Kindly instruct him to present himself at Dreever Castle as applica

fait

. BL

row evening. There is a good tr

d it in an envelope, and lighted a cigar with the air