“First and foremost, do you know where you are and who I am?” I asked him.

“No,” he said, “I can’t say as ever I set my eyes on yer afore last night, and I don’t know yer bloomin’ name or what yer are and I don’t want to.”

“Politeness is evidently not your strong point,” I commented.  “Just look at that!”

Taking a sheet of note-paper from the rack upon my table I handed it to him.

He did so, and I saw a look of surprise steal over his face.  He looked from it to me and then back again at the paper.

“Fairfax,” he said.  “The d——­ Tec, the same as got poor old Billy Whitelaw scragged last year.”

“I certainly believe I had that honour,” I returned, “and it’s just possible, if you continue in your present career, that I may have the pleasure of doing the same for you.  Now, look here, my man, there’s some one else at the back of this business, and what I want to know is, who put you up to try your hand upon me?  Tell me that, and I will let you go and say no more about it.  Refuse, and I must try and find some evidence against you that will rid society of you for some time to come.  Doubtless it will not be very difficult.”

He considered a moment before he replied.

“Well,” he said, “I don’t know as how I won’t tell you, a seein’ you’re who yer are, and I am not likely to get anything out of the job.  It was a rare toff who put us on to it.  Silk hat, frock-coat, and all as natty as a new pin.  He comes across us down in the Dials, stood us a couple of drinks, turfed out a suvring apiece, and then told us he wanted the gentleman at Rickford’s Hotel laid by for a time.  He told us ’ow yer were in the habit of going about the streets at night for walks, and said as ‘ow he would be down near the hotel that evenin’ and when yer came out, he would strike a match and light a smoke just ter give us the tip like.  We wos to foller yer, and to do the job wherever we could.  Then we was to bring your timepiece to him at the back of St. Martin’s Church in the Strand at midnight, and he would pay us our money and let us keep the clock for our trouble.  Oh, yes, ’e’s a deep un, jost take my tip for it.  He knowed that unless we ‘outed’ yer properly, we’d not be able to get at your fob, and then ’e’d not have paid out.”

“I see, and not being successful on your first attempt, you followed me again to-night, of course by his instructions as before?”

“That’s so, guvner,” the man replied, “but I reckon we ain’t agoin’ to see any money this trip.  If I’d ha’ knowed who you was, I wouldn’t a taken this job in hand, not for no money.”

“That is where so many of you go wrong,” I said.  “You fail to make sufficient inquiries before you commence business.  And I understand you to say that the gentleman who put you up to it, is to be at the back of St. Martin’s church to-night?”

“Yes, sir, that’s so,” said the fellow.  “He’ll be there all right.”