from The Yard, for whom I sent Dollops this afternoon.  I had a vague notion that it would not turn out to be Ulchester’s, and I had also a distinct recollection of what you said about his being able to mimic a Gaiety chorus-girl and all that sort of thing, and the more I thought over it, the more I realized what an excellent thing to cover a bearded face a yashmak is.  Still, it was all hazard.  I wasn’t sure—­indeed, I never was sure—­until tea-time, when I caught this supposed ‘Zuilika’ sitting at last, and gave the spade guinea its chance to decide it.”

“But, Mr. Cleek, how could it have decided it?  That’s the thing which amazes me most of all.  How could the tossing of that coin have decided the sex of the wearer of those garments?”

“My dear Major, it is an infallible test.  Did you ever notice that if you throw anything for a man to catch in his lap, he pulls his knees together to make a lap in order to catch it; whereas a woman—­used to wearing skirts and, thereby, having a lap already prepared—­immediately broadens that lap by the exactly opposite movement, knowing that whatever is thrown has no chance of slipping through and falling to the floor.  When I tossed the coin to Ulchester, he instinctively jerked his knees together.  That settled it, of course.  And now, if you won’t mind my saying it, I’m a bit sleepy and it is about time I took myself off to home and bed.”

“But not at this late hour, surely?  You will never catch a train.”

“I shan’t need one, Major.  They are holding a horse and trap ready for me at the stables of the ‘Coach and Horses.’  Mr. Narkom promised to look out for that, and—­I beg pardon?  No, I can’t stop over night.  Thank you for the invitation, but Dollops would raise half London if I didn’t turn up after promising to do so.”

“I should have thought you might have simplified matters and obviated that by keeping the boy when you had him here,” said the Major.  “We could easily have found a place to put him up for the night.”

“Thanks very much, but I wouldn’t interrupt the course of his studies for the world,” replied Cleek.  “I’ve found an old chap—­an ex-schoolmaster, down on his luck and glad for the chance to turn an honest penny—­who takes him on every night from eight to ten; and the young monkey is so eager and is absorbing knowledge at such a rate that he positively amazes me.  But now, really, it must be good-night.  The boy will be waiting and I must hear his lessons before I go to bed.”

“Not surely when you are so tired as you say?”

“Never too tired for that, Major.  It makes me sleep better and sounder to know that the lad’s getting on and that I’ve cheated the Devil in just one more instance.  Good-night and good luck to you.  It’s a bully old world after all, isn’t it, Major?” Then laughed and shook hands with him and fared forth into the starlight, whistling.

CHAPTER XXX