Some considerable time afterwards--we did not meet very often--I asked Davidson how he had managed about the shawl and heard that he had tackled his mission in a direct way, and had found it easy enough.

At the very first call he made in Samarang he rolled the shawl as tightly as he could into the smallest possible brown-paper parcel, which he carried ashore with him.

His business in the town being transacted, he got into a gharry with the parcel and drove to the hotel.

With his precious experience, he timed his arrival accurately for the hour of Schomberg's siesta.

Finding the place empty as on the former occasion, he marched into the billiard-room, took a seat at the back, near the sort of dais which Mrs.Schomberg would in due course come to occupy, and broke the slumbering silence of the house by thumping a bell vigorously.