The young man smiled faintly. The policeman answered me civilly, but I knew at once that I had made a mistake.
"This gentleman is well known to us, sir," he said. "I do not think you will find him causing you any trouble."
"I hope, at any rate," I said, turning away, "that we have seen the last of him."
Apparently we had,—for the moment, at any rate. I claimed my own belongings, and had them sent down to the omnibus. Then I handed my companion in and was on the point of joining her, when I saw walking along the platform, within a few feet of us, the policeman to whom I had appealed. I turned back to him.
"I wonder," I said, drawing him a little on one side, "if you would care to earn a sovereign without committing a breach of duty?"
He looked at me stolidly. Apparently he thought that silence was wisest.
"You said that that young man who followed us about here was well known to you," I said. "Who is he?"
"It is not my place to tell you, sir," the man answered, and passed on.
I stepped into the 'bus and we drove off. As we turned out of the station I caught a last glimpse of our shadower. He was standing close to the main exit with his hands behind him, looking up to the sky as though anxious to discover whether it were still raining. He looked into our 'bus as it clattered by, and my companion, who caught sight of him, leaned back in her seat.
"I am sure," she declared firmly, "that that is a detective."