“If he is a spy, and has been looking at them,” mused Tom, “he may steal my invention.”  Then he calmed himself, as he realized that he, himself, had not yet perfected his latest idea.  “I guess he couldn’t make much of the drawings,” Tom thought.

“Yes, the collision was most unfortunate,” went on Mr. Boylan, “and Mr. Peters has instructed me to say—­”

“If he’s told you to say that it was my fault, you may as well save your time,” cut in Tom.  “I don’t want to be impolite, but I have my own opinion of the affair.  And I might add that I have instructed a lawyer to begin a suit against Mr. Peters—­”

“No necessity for that at all!” interrupted the man, in soft accents.  “No necessity at all.  I am sorry you did that, for there was no need.  Mr. Peters has instructed me to say that he realizes the accident was entirely his own fault, and he is very willing—­ nay, anxious, to pay all damages.  In fact, that is why I am here, and I am empowered, my dear Mr. Swift, to offer you five hundred dollars, to pay for the repairs to your motor boat.  If that is not enough—­”

The man paused, and drew a thick wallet front his pocket.  Tom felt a little embarrassed over what he had said.

“Oh,” spoke the young inventor, “the repair bill is only about three hundred dollars.  I’m sorry—­”

“Now that’s all right, Mr. Swift!  It’s all right,” and the man, with his soft words, raised a white, restraining hand.  “Not another word.  Mr. Peters did not know who you were that day he so unfortunately ran into you.  If he had, he would not have spoken as he did.  He supposed you were some amateur motor-boatist, and he was—­well, he admits it—­he was provoked.”

“Since then he has made inquiries, and, learning who you were, he at once authorized me to make a settlement in full.  So if five hundred dollars—­”

“The repair bill,” said Tom, and his voice was not very cordial, in spite of the other’s persuasive smile, “the bill came to three hundred forty-seven dollars.  Here is the receipted bill.  I paid it, and, to be frank with you, I intended bringing suit against Mr. Peters for that sum.”

“No need, no need at all, I assure you!” interrupted Mr. Boylan, as he counted off some bills.  “There you are, and I regret that you and Mr. Peters had such a misunderstanding.  It was all his fault, and he wants to apologize to you.”

“The apology is accepted,” said Tom, and he smiled a trifle.  “Also the money.  I take it merely as a matter of justice, for I assure you that Mr. Peters’s own machinist will say the accident was his employer’s fault.”

“No doubt of it, not the least in the world,” said the caller.  “And now that I have this disagreeable business over, let me speak of something more pleasant.”

Instinctively Tom felt that now the real object of the man’s call would be made plain—­that the matter of paying the damages was only a blind.  Tom steeled himself for what was to come.