“There is another point,” the Prime Minister continued. “There are features in common about both these murders. Not only were they both the work of a most accomplished criminal, but he must have been possessed of an iron nerve and amazing strength. The dagger by which Hamilton Fynes was stabbed was driven through the middle of his heart. The cord with which Vanderpole was strangled must have been turned by a wrist of steel. No time for a word afterwards, mind, or before. It was a wonderful feat. I am not surprised that the Americans can’t understand it.”
“They don’t suggest, I suppose,” the Duke asked, “that we are not trying to clear the matter up?”
“They don’t suggest it,” his chief answered, “but I can’t quite make out what’s at the back of their heads. However, I won’t bother you about that now. If I were to propound Heseltine’s theory to you, you would think that he had been reading the works of some of our enterprising young novelists. Things will have cleared up, I dare say, by next week. I am coming round to the House for a moment if you’re not in a hurry.”
The Duke assented, and waited while the secretary locked up the papers which the Prime Minister had been examining, and prepared others to be carried into the House. The two men left the place together, and the Duke pointed toward his brougham.
“Do you mind walking?” the Prime Minister said. “There is another matter I’d like to talk to you about, and there’s nowhere better than the streets for a little conversation. Besides, I need the air.”
“With pleasure,” the Duke answered, who loathed walking.
He directed his coachman to precede them, and they started off, arm in arm.
“Devenham,” the Prime Minister said, “we were speaking, a few minutes ago, of Prince Maiyo. I want you to understand this, that upon that young man depends entirely the success or failure of my administration.”
“You are serious?” the Duke exclaimed.
“Absolutely,” the Prime Minister answered. “I know quite well what he is here for. He is here to make up his mind whether it will pay Japan to renew her treaty with us, or whether it would be more to her advantage to enter into an alliance with any other European power. He has been to most of the capitals in Europe. He has been here with us. By this time he has made up his mind. He knows quite well what his report will be. Yet you can’t get a word out of him. He is a delightful young fellow, I know, but he is as clever as any trained diplomatist I have ever come across. I’ve had him to dine with me alone, and I’ve done all that I could to make him talk. When he went away, I knew just exactly as much as I did before he came.”