I was given no leisure for wondering how Cynthia's mother came tobe in the grounds of Sanstead House, for her companion, almostbefore the car had stopped, jumped out and clutched me by the arm,at the same time uttering this cryptic speech: 'Whatever he offersI'll double!'

　　She fixed me, as she spoke, with a commanding eye. She was a woman,I gathered in that instant, born to command. There seemed, at anyrate, no doubt in her mind that she could command me. If I hadbeen a black beetle she could not have looked at me with a morescornful superiority. Her eyes were very large and of a rich, fierybrown colour, and it was these that gave me my first suspicion ofher identity. As to the meaning of her words, however, I had no clue.

　　'Bear that in mind,' she went on. 'I'll double it if it's amillion dollars.'

　　'I'm afraid I don't understand,' I said, finding speech.

　　She clicked her tongue impatiently.

　　'There's no need to be so cautious and mysterious. This lady is afriend of mine. She knows all about it. I asked her to come. I'mMrs Elmer Ford. I came here directly I got your letter. I thinkyou're the lowest sort of scoundrel that ever managed to keep outof gaol, but that needn't make any difference just now. We're hereto talk business, Mr Fisher, so we may as well begin.'

　　I was getting tired of being taken for Smooth Sam.

　　'I am not Smooth Sam Fisher.'

　　I turned to the automobile. 'Will you identify me, Mrs Drassilis?'

　　She was regarding me with wide-open eyes.

　　'What on earth are you doing down here? I have been tryingeverywhere to find you, but nobody--'

　　Mrs Ford interrupted her. She gave me the impression of being awoman who wanted a good deal of the conversation, and who did notcare how she got it. In a conversational sense she thugged MrsDrassilis at this point, or rather she swept over her like sometidal wave, blotting her out.

　　'Oh,' she said fixing her brown eyes, less scornful now but stillimperious, on mine. 'I must apologize. I have made a mistake. Itook you for a low villain of the name of Sam Fisher. I hope youwill forgive me. I was to have met him at this exact spot justabout this time, by appointment, so, seeing you here, I mistookyou for him.'

　　'If I might have a word with you alone?' I said.

　　Mrs Ford had a short way with people. In matters concerning herown wishes, she took their acquiescence for granted.

　　'Drive on up to the house, Jarvis,' she said, and Mrs Drassiliswas whirled away round the curve of the drive before she knew whathad happened to her.

　　'Well?'

　　'My name is Burns,' I said.

　　'Now I understand,' she said. 'I know who you are now.' Shepaused, and I was expecting her to fawn upon me for my gallantservice in her cause, when she resumed in quite a differentstrain.

　　'I can't think what you can have been about, Mr Burns, not to havebeen able to do what Cynthia asked you. Surely in all these weeksand months.... And then, after all, to have let this Fisherscoundrel steal him away from under your nose...!'

　　She gave me a fleeting glance of unfathomable scorn. And when Ithought of all the sufferings I had gone through that term owingto her repulsive son and, indirectly, for her sake, I felt thatthe time had come to speak out.

　　'May I describe the way in which I allowed your son to be stolenaway from under my nose?' I said. And in well-chosen words, Isketched the outline of what had happened. I did not omit to laystress on the fact that the Nugget's departure with the enemy wasentirely voluntary.

　　She heard me out in silence.

　　'That was too bad of Oggie,' she said tolerantly, when I hadceased dramatically on the climax of my tale.

　　As a comment it seemed to me inadequate.

　　'Oggie was always high-spirited,' she went on. 'No doubt you havenoticed that?'

　　'A little.'

　　'He could be led, but never driven. With the best intentions, nodoubt, you refused to allow him to leave the stables that nightand return to the house, and he resented the check and took thematter into his own hands.' She broke off and looked at her watch.

　　'Have you a watch? What time is it? Only that? I thought it mustbe later. I arrived too soon. I got a letter from this man Fisher,naming this spot and this hour for a meeting, when we coulddiscuss terms. He said that he had written to Mr Ford, appointingthe same time.' She frowned. 'I have no doubt he will come,' shesaid coldly.

　　'Perhaps this is his car,' I said.

　　A second automobile was whirring up the drive. There was a shoutas it came within sight of us, and the chauffeur put on the brake.

　　A man sprang from the tonneau. He jerked a word to the chauffeur,and the car went on up the drive.

　　He was a massively built man of middle age, with powerful shoulders,and a face--when he had removed his motor-goggles very like any oneof half a dozen of those Roman emperors whose features have comedown to us on coins and statues, square-jawed, clean-shaven, andaggressive. Like his late wife (who was now standing, drawn up toher full height, staring haughtily at him) he had the air of oneborn to command. I should imagine that the married life of thesetwo must have been something more of a battle even than most marriedlives. The clashing of those wills must have smacked of a collisionbetween the immovable mass and the irresistible force.

　　He met Mrs Ford's stare with one equally militant, then turned tome.

　　'I'll give you double what she has offered you,' he said. Hepaused, and eyed me with loathing. 'You damned scoundrel,' headded.

　　Custom ought to have rendered me immune to irritation, but it hadnot. I spoke my mind.

　　'One of these days, Mr Ford,' I said, 'I am going to publish adirectory of the names and addresses of the people who havemistaken me for Smooth Sam Fisher. I am not Sam Fisher. Can yougrasp that? My name is Peter Burns, and for the past term I havebeen a master at this school. And I may say that, judging fromwhat I know of the little brute, any one who kidnapped your son aslong as two days ago will be so anxious by now to get rid of himthat he will probably want to pay you for taking him back.'

　　My words almost had the effect of bringing this divorced coupletogether again. They made common cause against me. It was probablythe first time in years that they had formed even a temporaryalliance.

　　'How dare you talk like that!' said Mrs Ford. 'Oggie is a sweetboy in every respect.'

　　'You're perfectly right, Nesta,' said Mr Ford. 'He may wantintelligent handling, but he's a mighty fine boy. I shall makeinquiries, and if this man has been ill-treating Ogden, I shallcomplain to Mr Abney. Where the devil is this man Fisher?' hebroke off abruptly.

　　'On the spot,' said an affable voice. The bushes behind me parted,and Smooth Sam stepped out on to the gravel.

　　I had recognized him by his voice. I certainly should not havedone so by his appearance. He had taken the preca............