Paul Quentin by Fred M. White — Read

"I thought so," Dugdale said, pleased with the information. "I thought so directly I saw it. Perhaps you will recollect the first time I saw it. It was in your room, and your friend and patron, Paul Quentin, was rather interested in it. You were annoyed at the time. The incident made an impression upon me, though I hardly knew why. Still, I will try to explain it by and by. Now, it is singular that a short time afterwards I fished this out of the lake attached to a string and a cork. Perhaps you would like to know how I discovered it was in the lake."

Bassano looked up with an expression half-moody, half defiant. He did not know whether to treat Dugdale as a friend or a foe.