"Yes," said the detective, as the Great Man paused.
"The despatch related to the recent trouble in the South Pacific, the German affair," remarked the Permanent Secretary, "and next morning there was wild excitement on the Stock Exchange, and later in the day the newspapers published full details of the trouble, much to our embarrassment."
"H—m," said the detective, "I suppose you want me to find out who gave the show away?"
"Your perspicacity is wonderful, Kenly," remarked the Great Man drily and the Permanent Secretary smiled. "At present, Markham, I know, suspects me of 'giving the show away,' as you put it, and if I didn't know Markham I should be compelled to suspect him. We are really the only two possible suspects."
"H—m," said the detective a second time before remarking deprecatingly, "The despatch passed through the hands of a third person. I think you mentioned a King's Messenger?"
"I sealed the despatches with my own hands," remarked the Permanent Secretary. "And the seals were intact when I took the case from Captain Marven's hands," added the Great Man.
The detective hazarded another suggestion.
"Is it quite impossible that the information might not have reached the Stock Exchange and the newspapers from an external source?"
"So far as we can ascertain, quite impossible," replied the Permanent Secretary. "We have ascertained that no cable was received in London which could in any way have related to the affair before the publication of the news."
"It seems to me," said the Great Man briskly, "that even if we cannot get direct evidence as to the source through which the information leaked out, we should at least be able to come to some sort of conclusion if we knew the names of the parties who must have benefited by the Stock Exchange operations."