Cullis's eyes shifted round the room.
"But there's one thing I should like to know," he said.
"What's that?"
"When the Saint came to you with that story, why should you have taken any more notice of it than if anyone else had brought it to you?"
A dry smile touched the commissioner's lips.
"Because I happen to know him well," he said. "When he got his pardon, I coaxed him into the Secret Service to keep him from getting into more trouble. His methods have always been rather eccentric, but they're effective. Some time ago he got an idea that there was something more in the Trelawney business than ever came out, and I let him take up the case in his own way. He's been working at it in his own way ever since: his police appointment was only part of the job, and his very irregular resignation was only another part."
There was one person who was more surprised than Cullis, and that was Jill Trelawney.
"You, Saint?"
"When we first met," said the Saint sadly, "I told you I'd reformed, but you wouldn't believe me. And in the last few days I seem to have done nothing but talk to you about my respectable friend. Let me introduce you — Sir Hamilton Dorn, Chief Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, commonly known as Auntie Ethel. Pleased to have you meet each other."
Sir Hamilton bowed slightly.