‘Ah, of course,’ rejoined M. Thévenet. ‘There is, then, really such a man? I rather doubted it at the time, you know, for our advice card of the despatch of the cask was returned marked, “Not known,” and I then looked him up in the London directory and could not find him. Of course, as far as we were concerned, we had the money and it did not matter to us.’
Burnley and his colleague sat up sharply.
‘I beg your pardon, M. Thévenet,’ said Burnley. ‘What’s that you say? At the time? At what time, if you please?’
‘Why, when we sent out the cask. When else?’ returned the director, looking keenly at his questioner.
‘But, I don’t understand. You did send out a cask then, addressed to Felix at Tottenham Court Road?’
‘Of course we did. We had the money, and why should we not do so?’
‘Look here, M. Thévenet,’ continued Burnley, ‘we are evidently talking at cross purposes. Let me first explain more fully about the label. According to our information, which we have no reason to doubt, the address space had been neatly cut out and another piece of paper pasted behind, bearing the address in question. It seemed to us therefore, that some person had received the cask from you and, having altered the label, packed the body in it and sent it on. Now we are to understand that the cask was sent out by you. Why then should the label have been altered?’
‘I’m sure I cannot tell.’
‘May I ask what was in the cask when it left here?’
‘Certainly. It was a small group of statuary by a good man and rather valuable.’