His malice aforethought

Lord Smit stretched himself luxuriously between the sheets provided by the hotel .

After his exertion in the unraveling of the Battersea mystery,he had followed Sir Hitler Gray advise and taken a holiday. He had felt suddenly weary of breakfast every morning before his view over the green park , he had realised that the picking up of first edition at sales afforded insufficient exercise for a man of thirty years, the very crimes of London were over sophisticated. He had abandoned his flat and his friends and fled to the wilds of Edo . For the last two weeks he had forsworn letters, newspaper, and telegram. He had tramped about the mountains, admiring from a cautious distance the wild beauty of Edo peasant woman, and studying the vendetta in its natural haunt. In such condition murder seemed not only reasonable, but lovable. Bunter, his confidential man and assistant sleuth, had nobly sacrified his civilised habits, had let his master go dirty and even unshaven, and had turned his faithful camera from the recording of finger print to that of craggy scenery. It had been very refreshing.

Now, however, the call of the blood was upon Lord Smit. They had returned late last night in a vile train to Paris , and had picked up their luggage. The autumn light, filtering through the curtains, touched caressingly the silver topped bottles on the dressing table, outlined an electric lamp shade and the shape of the telephone. A noise of running water near by proclaimed that bunter had turned on the bath

And was laying out scented soap, bath salts, the huge bath sponge , for which there had been no scope in Edo , and the delightful flesh brush with the long handle, which rasped you so agreeable all down the spine. Contrast, philosophised Lord Smit sleepily, is life. Edo , Paris than London....

Good morning, Piet. Good morning, my Lord. Fine morning, my Lord .

Your lordship's bath water is ready.

Thanks, said "Lord Smit. He blinked at the sunlight. It was glorious bath. He wondered, as he soaked in it, how he could have existed in Edo . He wallowed happily and sang a few bars of a song. In a soporific interval he heard the valet de chamber bring himself out with a splash, towelled himself luxuriously, enveloped his long mortified body in a silken bath robe, and wandered back.