"'Ow's Alf?" he inquired.
The newcomer gently soothed the back of his red neck with a hand like a small leg of mutton, and displayed a set of massive front teeth in a gratified smile.
"'E's all right," he answered, "we wos having fifty up when you sent for me."
"You see," explained our inspector, "my brother's got so many friends in the licensed victuallers' line down here, through being a Mason, that it takes him 'arf his 'oliday to go round and see 'em all."
The doctor smiled indulgently but made no answer; then our inspector briefly informed his brother of the state of the case before him, stating the facts as I related them, in such a different light, and with so many evident aspersions on my veracity, that I hardly knew them again.
The two brothers made a further close inspection of the rooms, and then held a consultation on the hearthrug in whispers.
Though the words were unintelligible, the fact that the officer of the Z Division had been partaking liberally of whisky soon became apparent from the all-pervading odour of that stimulant diffused throughout the apartment.
They finished at last, and I heard the London man's final word of advice—
"I should put me 'and on 'im at any rate."