“That’s very important,” said the Queen. “Anything more?”
“No,” he said, “that’s all I’ve got.”
The Queen handed over the diary. It was Phillips’ turn to write.
“I observed,” she said, “that the envelope is of the kind used by business men, an office envelope; also that the stamp is put on crooked.”
Phillips looked at the stamp. It was put on crooked.
“From this I infer,” said the Queen, “either that the man in London——What did you call him?”
“Person at present unknown,” said Phillips.
“Either that the person at present unknown was (a) habitually careless about details, or that (b) though usually careful he was in a hurry when he despatched this letter.”
“By Jove!” said Phillips, “but, I say, mightn’t somebody else, an office boy or some one, have put on the stamp?”
“Not on a letter of this kind,” said the Queen. “The writer wouldn’t have trusted any one else.”