“Only a gentleman and his wife, Miss.”

“And who are they? If one may ask it without detriment to your deep plans in the interests of the honest public?” said Miss Abbey, proud of Mr. Inspector as an administrative genius.

“They are strangers in this part of the town, Miss Abbey. They are waiting till I shall want the gentleman to show himself somewhere, for half a moment.”

“While they’re waiting,” said Miss Abbey, “couldn’t you join us?”

Mr. Inspector immediately slipped into the bar, and sat down at the side of the half-door, with his back towards the passage, and directly facing the two guests. “I don’t take my supper till later in the night,” said he, “and therefore I won’t disturb the compactness of the table. But I’ll take a glass of flip, if that’s flip in the jug in the fender.”