“You found it a harassing sort of life, I suppose?”
“Well, I don’t know that I did. I have often heard it said that the best part of my life must have been a harassing and painful one, but it was not without its pleasures. The scene of my operations was chiefly in the city of Edinburgh, and as my reputation grew I was obliged to get up at midnight to pursue thieves and recover property, often with little or no clue, and was constrained to trust to chance and wait, like Mr. Micawber, till ‘something turned up.’”
“And something generally did turn up,” said Peace, with a knowing wink at the company.
“Well, yes, generally, I admit; for I need hardly say if any profession nowadays can be enlivened by adventure it is that of a detective officer.
“With the enthusiasm of a sportsman whose aim is to hunt and shoot innocent animals, he is impelled by the superior motive of benefiting mankind by ridding society of pests, and restoring the broken fortunes of suffering victims.”
“Charming occupation,” suggested Peace.
“It’s all very well for you to make game of our business, my friend, but let me tell you that the ingenuity of the detective is taxed, while it is solicited by the sufferers and repaid by the applause of a generous public. I need hardly say how very much is due to decision in the business of detection. A single minute will often peril the object of your inquiry, and then it does not often happen—at least I have not found it—that the patience that is required in ferreting is joined to the power of dashing at an emergency.”
“You can’t expect an impetuous man to be patient,” observed Peace. “All are not constituted alike, but it requires a man of exceptional qualities to hunt down thieves or robbers, and, as you say, inflexibility of purpose or decision is absolutely requisite.”
“My friend, M‘Levy,” said Hilton, “who was a celebrated man in his day, and who perhaps brought more offenders to justice than any other man of his class, given an instance, in his work called ‘The Curiosities of Crime,’ of the value of decision.”
“Does he? and what might the case be to which he alludes?” inquired Peace, who was always interested in anything appertaining to crime or criminals; it was an interest which might be said to be engrained within him.