“Will ’e be much good as a watch dog, now?” asked Mr. Blank carelessly.

“Good?” said William, almost indignant at the question.  “There isn’t any sort of dog he isn’t good at!”

“Umph,” said Mr. Blank, looking at him thoughtfully.

“Tell me about things you’ve done,” said William earnestly.

“Yus, I will, too,” said Mr. Blank.  “But jus’ you tell me first ’oo lives at all these ’ere nice ‘ouses an’ all about ’em.  See?”

[Illustration:  WILLIAM DEPARTED WITH AN AIR OF SCOWLING MYSTERY, LEAVING HIS PARENTS SPEECHLESS WITH AMAZEMENT]

William readily complied, and the strange couple gradually wended their way along the road towards William’s house.  William stopped at the gate and considered deeply.  He was torn between instincts of hospitality and a dim suspicion that his family would not afford to Mr. Blank that courtesy which is a guest’s due.  He looked at Mr. Blank’s old green-black cap, long, untidy hair, dirty, lined, sly old face, muddy clothes and gaping boots, and decided quite finally that his mother would not allow him in her drawing-room.

“Will you,” he said tentatively, “will you come roun’ an’ see our back garden?  If we go behind these ole bushes and keep close along the wall, no one’ll see us.”

To William’s relief Mr. Blank did not seem to resent the suggestion of secrecy.  They crept along the wall in silence except for Jumble, who loudly worried Mr. Blank’s trailing boot-strings as he walked.  They reached a part of the back garden that was not visible from the house and sat down together under a shady tree.

“P’raps,” began Mr. Blank politely, “you could bring a bit o’ tea out to me on the quiet like.”

“I’ll ask mother——­” began William.

“Oh, no,” said Mr. Blank modestly.  “I don’t want ter give no one no trouble.  Just a slice o’ bread, if you can find it, without troublin’ no one.  See?”

William had a brilliant idea.

“Let’s go ‘cross to that window an’ get in,” he said eagerly.  “That’s the lib’ry and no one uses it ’cept father, and he’s not in till later.”

Mr. Blank insisted on tying Jumble up, then he swung himself dexterously through the window.  William gave a gasp of admiration.

“You did that fine,” he said.

Again Mr. Blank closed one eye.

“Not the first time I’ve got in at a winder, young gent, nor the larst, I bet.  Not by a long way.  See?”

William followed more slowly.  His eye gleamed with pride.  This hero of romance and adventure was now his guest, under his roof.

“Make yourself quite at home, Mr. Blank,” he said with an air of intense politeness.

Mr. Blank did.  He emptied Mr. Brown’s cigar-box into his pocket.  He drank three glasses of Mr. Brown’s whiskey and soda.  While William’s back was turned he filled his pockets with the silver ornaments from the mantel-piece.  He began to inspect the drawers in Mr. Brown’s desk.  Then: