“Exactly. Now Marie we have a clue to the truth.”
CHAPTER V
THE LETTER
What Fuller meant exactly when he suggested to Marie that there was now a clue to the truth may be gathered from one of the frequent conversations he held on the subject with his friend. Fuller had much to say when he returned to town from his week-end visit to Belstone, but for some little time he did not find a favorable moment for an exhaustive talk. He certainly gave Dick a few hints as to what he had learned, and spoke more or less in a desultory manner, but Latimer’s time was so fully taken up with journalism that the matter was not discussed thoroughly until the middle of the week. And even then the chance came about in a somewhat unexpected way, as Alan took the opportunity to detain the reporter when he strolled into the Chancery Lane office for a few minutes. Dick had stated that he was off the chain for a time, and simply wished for a smoke and a rest.
“You can fire away with your work, old son,” said Latimer, taking possession of the client’s chair. “I sha’n’t bother you.”
“This affair of the peacock bothers me a deal more than you do,” retorted the solicitor, “and I am glad to get you to myself for a few minutes to talk it over. Hitherto you have always rushed off when I wanted you.”
“Humanity demands my services, Alan,” said Dick ironically, “and I have to earn a ridiculously small income by attending to the squalling of brother man. However, I am at your disposal for one entire hour, so you can burble to your heart’s content.”
“There is much more than burbling in this matter,” rejoined the other man gravely. “You don’t take so much interest in this matter as I expected you to, Dick, considering our first conversation on the matter.”
Latimer, with a lighted match held over the filled bowl of his pipe, looked up quickly. “Oh, but I do, my son. I am very interested indeed, and if you have things to tell me, as I gather from what you have let drop since you came back from the country, I have information also.”
“What about?”
“First your story and then mine,” said Dick imperturbably. “All things in order, old boy. I suppose none of your confounded clients will come in to interrupt.”