"This evening."
"If you lay a finger on Richard Shackford, you will make the mistake of your life, Mr. Taggett!"
"I have other business there. Mr. Shackford will be in Stillwater to-morrow night. He engaged a state-room on the Fall River boat this morning."
"How can you know that?"
"Since last Tuesday none of his movements have been unknown to me."
"Do you mean to say that you have set your miserable spies upon him?" cried Mr. Slocum.
"I should not state the fact in just those words," Mr. Taggett answered. "The fact remains."
"Pardon me," said Mr. Slocum. "I am not quite myself. Can you wonder at it?"
"I do not wonder."
"Give me those papers you speak of, Mr. Taggett. I would like to look through them. I see that you are a very obstinate person when you have once got a notion into your head. Perhaps I can help you out of your error before it is irreparable." Then, after hesitating a second, Mr. Slocum added, "I may speak of this to my daughter? Indeed, I could scarcely keep it from her."