"He spoke in his letter of being quite feeble."
"Yes, and yet he gave his age at only sixty-five."
"Some men wear better than others."
"Decidedly so. We can only wait and see. I hate to disappoint Alice. There is no telling what difference it may make to her."
A deafening thunderclap interrupted the conversation.
Evidently the Bradys had come to Pell street for a purpose.
The storm continued to rage.
At twenty minutes past eleven the Bradys, who had held the table far beyond the limit by tipping their waiter, began to think it time to pull out.
"He will hardly come now," said the old detective. "Probably we shall hear from him to-morrow, but I am sorry we could not have finished up to-night. Alice is running a great risk, and I don't care to have her remain with that Chinese woman a moment longer than necessary."
He had scarcely spoken when a very young man, little more than a boy, in fact, entered the restaurant.