"Ah, I see; should you be murdered, we would
be in position to identify the corpse."

He said it so cheerfully and cold-bloodedly that
on the instant I saw my stark and mutilated
cadaver stretched upon a slab where cool waters
trickle ceaselessly, and him I saw bending over and
sadly and patiently identifying it as the body of the
insane American who would see the East End.

"No, no," I answered; " merely to identify me in
case I get into a scrape with the bobbies. This
last I said with a thrill; truly, I was gripping hold
of the vernacular.

"That," he said, " is a matter for the considera
tion of the Chief Office."

"It is so unprecedented, you know," he added
apologetically.

The man at the Chief Office hemmed and hawed.
"We make it a rule," he explained, " to give no
information concerning our clients."

"But in this case," I urged, " it is the client who
requests you to give the information concerning
himself."

Again he hemmed and hawed.

"Of course," I hastily anticipated, " I know it is
unprecedented, but

"As I was about to remark," he went on steadily,
"it is unprecedented, and I don t think we can do
anything for you."

[[4]]

p003 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p004w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p005

v?