“Mr. Queed,” said Sharlee, briskly interrupting his exegetical words, “I believe you are going off with Professor Nicolovius chiefly because—­you think he needs you!”

He looked up sharply, much surprised and irritated.  “That is absolutely foolish and absurd.  I have nothing in the world to do with what Professor Nicolovius needs.  You must always remember that I am not a subscriber to the tenets of your religion.”

“It is not too late.  I always remember that too.”

“But I must say frankly that I am much surprised at the way you interpret those tenets.  For if—­”

“Oh, you should never have tested me on such a question!  Don’t you see that I’m the judge sitting in his or her own case?  Two boarders gone at one swoop!  How shall I break the news to Aunt Jennie?”

He thought this over in silence and then said impatiently; “I’m sorry, but I do not feel that I can consider that phase of the matter.”

“Certainly not.”

“The arrangement between us is a strictly business one, based on mutual advantage, and to be terminated at will as the interests of either party dictates.”

“Exactly.”

He turned a sharp glance on her, and rose.  Having risen he stood a moment, irresolute, frowning, troubled by a thought.  Then he said, in an annoyed, nervous voice:—­

“Look here, will it be a serious thing for your aunt to lose me?”

The agent burst out laughing.  He was surprised by her merriment; he could not guess that it covered her instantaneous discovery that she liked him more than she would ever have thought possible.

“While I’m on the other side—­remember that,” said she, “I’m obliged to tell you that we can let the rooms any day at an hour’s notice.  Not that the places of our two scholars can ever be filled, but the boarding-house business is booming these days.  We are turning them away.  Do you remember the night that you walked in here an hour late for supper, and I arose and collected twenty dollars from you?”

“Oh, yes....  By the way—­I have never asked—­whatever became of that extraordinary pleasure-dog of yours?”

“Thank you.  He is bigger and more pleasurable than ever.  I take him out every afternoon, and each day, just as the clock strikes five, he knocks over a strange young man for me.  It is delightful sport.  But he has never found any young man that he enjoyed as heartily as he did you.”

Gravely he moved toward the door.  “I must return to my work.  You will tell your aunt I have given notice?  Well—­good-evening.”

“Good-evening, Mr. Queed.”

The door half shut upon him, but opened again to admit his head and shoulders.

“By the way, there was a curious happening yesterday which might be of interest to you.  Did you see it in the Post—­a small item headed ’The Two Queeds’?”

“Oh—­no!  About you and Tim?”

“About Tim, but not about me.  His beat was changed the other day, it seems, and early yesterday morning a bank in his new district was broken into.  Tim went in and arrested the burglar after a desperate fight in the dark.  When other policemen came and turned on the lights, Tim discovered to his horror that he had captured his brother Murphy.”