"I seem to have got in wrong, somehow," he observed. "You're all looking at me as though I'd done something. I.tell you this man gave me four counterfeit ten-shilling notes, and he's got a counterfeit £100 note in his pocket-!"
Murchison seemed a trifle startled at this, but he only went over and clapped the other on the shoulder, with a sort of shepherding motion, as though he were gently easing him out of the room.
"Now, now, take it easy," he urged. "I know all about that. I can vouch for this lady and gentleman. They're all right."
The clerk hunched his neck down into his shoulders. "Then I'm in the soup," he replied frankly. "But there's something very funny going on here, and I've got a right to know what it is. I think I'll wake up Mr. Collins — that's the manager-and get him to find out what it is, if I can't. Hang it, man, look at them! They burgled Dr. Keppel's room. Look at this envelope. If you'll just go down there, you can see for yourself. You know Dr. Keppel yourself. You've been here to see him. Well, I tell you this man must have.."
Under his rather sleepy and paternal air, I thought Murchison looked very worried at this. He cleared his throat and shifted his heavy shoulders.
"Did you see him enter the room?" he asked quickly.
"No, but if you'll only go down there-"
"Where is Dr. Keppel?"
"He hasn't come in yet."
"Now suppose," suggested Murchison, with the air of one making a fair business proposition, "you leave this to me, eh? Just for a little while? You can take my word for it that these people aren't criminals. But I want to talk to them. Suppose you go downstairs and wait until I call you. Just leave everything to me, and you won't have anything to worry you. Yes, yes, yes, I know you were `only doing your duty'; no, there'll be no trouble'