It was my turn to stare. “Are you sure?”

“Quite sure—I saw him there. Tremaine, I understand, was taken up by Delroy some time ago and has been cutting quite a swath in society—it’s easy enough to understand why. That’s not the first time he’s been in the Delroy box.”

“But,” I asked, more and more astonished, “how did he accomplish it?”

“I don’t know. A polished fellow like that has an open sesame, sometimes. More than likely, he’s interested Delroy in his railroad scheme, and Delroy has become fascinated with him, just as you’ve evidently been.”

“Yes,” I admitted, candidly, “I have.”

“I saw at a glance that he’s a smooth one. I believe that railroad business is just a blind-he doesn’t look the man to waste his time building castles in the air.”

“Oh, if you could hear him!” I protested.

“I wish I could.”

“I can introduce you—as a reporter looking for a story, say.”

“No, it won’t do. I’ll try to get at him some other way.”

“I don’t believe it’s a blind,” I persisted. “His heart’s too deeply in it. Besides, I don’t see that we have any reason to suspect him of anything. If it’s a blind, what’s his real game?”

“I give it up. That’s just what we’ve got to find out.”

“Godfrey,” I said suddenly, “there’s two points I’d like to submit to you—both rather important ones,