"Ah, ah!" said a little man in an enormous pair of spectacles; "ah, ah! 'ith you, inthpector! The governor'th been athkin' after you to-day. Let'th have a look," he continued, lifting a corner of a green-baize curtain; "ah! he'th jutht shakin' off that troublethome perjury. Now I'll give him your name."
This was Mr. Amedroz, Edward Moss's right-hand man, who knew all his master's secrets, and who was so reticent that he never opened his mouth where he could convey as much by writing. So Mr. Amedroz inscribed "Stellfox" in large round-text on a slip of paper, laid it before his principal, and, receiving an affirmative nod, ushered the inspector into the presence.
"Morning, Stellfox," said Mr. Edward, glancing up from a mass of papers in front of him; "report?"
Inspector Stellfox, unbuttoning his blue frock-coat, produced from his breast-pocket a thick notebook, and commenced:
"Sorry to say, nothing new about Captain Congreve, sir. We've tried--"
"Now look here, Stellfox," interrupted Mr. Moss; "you've had that business in hand a fortnight. If you don't report by Wednesday, I'll give that to Scotland Yard. Your men are getting lazy, and I'll try what Sir Richard Mayne's people can do. What next?"
Crestfallen, Inspector Stellfox continued,--"Slimy William, sir."
"Well," said Mr. Moss keenly, "what of him?"
"I think that's all right, sir. We've found out where his mother lives,--Shad's Row, Wapping, No. 3; bill up in the window, 'a room to let.' If you've no objection, one of my men shall take that room, sir, and try and work it that way."
"No," said Mr. Moss; "must put a woman in there. Don't you know a woman up to that sort of thing?"