on a tale of murder, robbery, and sudden death, nothing can tear him from it, not even the call of the division-bell, nor of hunger, nor the prayers of the party Whip.  He gave up his country house because when he journeyed to it in the train he would become so absorbed in his detective-stories that he was invariably carried past his station.”  The member of Parliament twisted his pearl stud nervously, and bit at the edge of his mustache.  “If it only were the first pages of ‘The Rand Robbery’ that he were reading,” he murmured bitterly, “instead of the last!  With such another book as that, I swear I could hold him here until morning.  There would be no need of chloroform to keep him from the House.”

The eyes of all were fastened upon Sir Andrew, and each saw, with fascination, that, with his forefinger, he was now separating the last two pages of the book.  The member of Parliament struck the table, softly, with his open palm.

“I would give a hundred pounds,” he whispered, “if I could place in his hands at this moment a new story of Sherlock Holmes—­a thousand pounds,” he added, wildly—­“five thousand pounds!”

The American observed the speaker sharply, as though the words bore to him some special application, and then, at an idea which apparently had but just come to him, smiled, in great embarrassment.

Sir Andrew ceased reading, but, as though still under the influence of the book, sat looking, blankly, into the open fire.  For a brief space, no one moved until the baronet withdrew his eyes and, with a sudden start of recollection, felt, anxiously, for his watch.  He scanned its face eagerly, and scrambled to his feet.

The voice of the American instantly broke the silence in a high, nervous accent.

“And yet Sherlock Holmes himself,” he cried, “could not decipher the mystery which to-night baffles the police of London.”

At these unexpected words, which carried in them something of the tone of a challenge, the gentlemen about the table started as suddenly as though the American had fired a pistol in the air, and Sir Andrew halted, abruptly, and stood observing him with grave surprise.

The gentleman with the black pearl was the first to recover.

“Yes, yes,” he said, eagerly, throwing himself across the table.  “A mystery that baffles the police of London.  I have heard nothing of it.  Tell us at once, pray do—­tell us at once.”

The American flushed uncomfortably, and picked, uneasily, at the table-cloth.

“No one but the police has heard of it,” he murmured, “and they only through me.  It is a remarkable crime, to which, unfortunately, I am the only person who can bear witness.  Because I am the only witness, I am, in spite of my immunity as a diplomat, detained in London by the authorities of Scotland Yard.  My name,” he said, inclining his head, politely, “is Sears, Lieutenant Ripley Sears, of the United States Navy, at present Naval Attache to the Court of Russia.  Had I not been detained to-day by the police, I would have started this morning for Petersburg.”